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석유노동자를 대표한 미국 철강노조(USW)와 에너지업계를 대표한 로열 더치 셸은 1월중순부터 11일 동안 임금과 작업장 내 안전 조건 등을 둘러싸고 협상을 벌였으나 결국 의견차를 줄이지 못했다.
이번 사태는 로열 더치 셸을 비롯하여 휴스턴과 텍사스 일대의 라이온델 바젤, 마라톤 오일사 등에서 근무하는 기간제 종사자들이 새 계약을 맺는 과정에서 회사 측과 임금과 안전조건 등에서 이견을 보인데서 야기됐다.
이 곳에서의 가장 큰 쟁점은 임금이었다. 국제유가 하락으로 인해 경영이 어려워진 석유업체들은 근로자들의 임금을 억제하고 있는데 이에 대한 근로자들의 반발이 파업으로 이어진 것이다.
특히 3만 명을 넘는 시간제 종사자에 대한 처우를 둘러싸고 심각한 갈등이 벌어졌다. 근로계약이 끝난 3만 명의 시간제 종사자와 회사 측 간의 임금에 대한 시각차가 너무 커서 아무런 타협도 이끌어내지 못했다. 기간제 종사자의 상당수는 이날 부로 기존 계약이 종료됐다.
다음은 협상 결렬과 파업선언에 관한 USW의 발표 내용.
National Oil Bargaining Talks Break Down
Plants Work Stoppage to Begin 12:01 AM Local Time
Contact: Lynne Hancock, USW, weekend: c) 615-828-6169 (h) 615-832-7124 Mon.-Fri.: (o) 615-831-6782 lhancock@usw.org
Pittsburgh — The United Steelworkers Union (USW) announced that it is calling for a work stoppage at the following US refineries:
LyondellBasell in Houston, TX;
Marathon Galveston Bay Refinery in Texas City, TX;
Marathon Houston Green Cogeneration facility, Texas City, TX;
Marathon Refinery, Catlettsburg, Ky;
Shell Deer Park Refinery, Deer Park, TX;
Shell Deer Park Chemical Plant, Deer Park, TX;
Tesoro Anacortes Refinery, Anacortes, Wash.;
Tesoro Martinez Refinery, Martinez, Calif.; and
Tesoro Carson Refinery, Carson, Calif.
All these refineries will go on strike at 12:01 am local time.
“Shell refused to provide us with a counter-offer and left the bargaining table,” said USW International President Leo W. Gerard. “We had no choice but to give notice of a work stoppage.”
The remaining USW-represented refineries and oil facilities are operating under a rolling 24-hour contract extension. The USW represents 65 U.S. refineries and over 230 refineries, oil terminals, pipelines and petrochemical facilities in the U.S.
“We told Shell that we were willing to continue bargaining for a fair agreement that would benefit the workers and the industry, but they just refused to return to the table,” said USW International Vice President Gary Beevers, who heads the union’s National Oil Bargaining Program.
This work stoppage is about onerous overtime; unsafe staffing levels; dangerous conditions the industry continues to ignore; the daily occurrences of fires, emissions, leaks and explosions that threaten local communities without the industry doing much about it; the industry’s refusal to make opportunities for workers in the trade crafts; the flagrant contracting out that impacts health and safety on the job; and the erosion of our workplace, where qualified and experienced union workers are replaced by contractors when they leave or retire,” Beevers added.
The USW rejected Shell Oil Company’s last offer. It was the company’s fifth offer to the union. Shell is the lead company for the National Oil Bargaining talks. National negotiations focus on establishing a pattern on wages, benefits and working conditions. Local union and unit negotiations focus on local issues at the particular facility.
The union offered to bargain over a safe and orderly shutdown or a safe and orderly transitional release. Oil workers were told to stay at their posts until they were relieved or to finish out their shift.
“The oil companies do not want to work with us to improve the workplace and safety at oil refineries and facilities,” said USW International Vice President of Administration Tom Conway.
“This industry is the richest in the world and can afford to make the changes we offered in bargaining.
“The problem is that oil companies are too greedy to make a positive change in the workplace and they continue to value production and profit over health and safety, workers and the community.
“When the industry comes to its senses, we are more than willing to meet them at the bargaining table and negotiate a fair pattern agreement that will help everyone,” Conway added.
The union represents workers at 65 U.S. refineries that produce approximately 64 percent of the oil in the U.S.
The USW is the largest private-sector union in North America, representing 850,000 workers employed in metals, mining, rubber, paper and forestry, energy, chemicals, transportation, health care, security, hotels, and municipal governments.
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