Reuters
Thursday 29 November 2007
Houston - Top United Steelworkers union leaders vowed on Thursday that they would make refinery safety an issue in election campaigns and contract talks if U.S. refiners don't join an effort to remove the risk of another deadly explosion.
Releasing a survey that found hazardous conditions like those at BP Plc's Texas refinery prior to a deadly 2005 blast are pervasive in U.S. refineries, the officials of North America's largest industrial union said they would first seek to work with refiners.
"It's a wake-up call to the industry," USW International President Leo Gerard said of the survey during a conference call with reporters. "We're prepared to work hand-in-hand with them to improve safety standards at every refinery whether we represent them or not."
The United Steelworkers represent 30,000 oil industry workers at 71 of 149 U.S. refineries.
But, Gerard said, so far, oil industry associations have ignored efforts to work with the USW to create an industry safety program.
"If they keep stonewalling this, it's certainly my intention to make this a legislative issue," he said.
Gerard also pledged to send the survey of 51 union-represented refineries to presidential candidates.
Ninety percent of the 51 refineries had at least one of the conditions that led to the deadly March 23, 2005, BP Texas City refinery explosion, according to the survey's conclusions.
The survey's findings are in line with the results of investigations of the Texas City blast by the U.S. Chemical Safety Board and an independent panel led by former Secretary of State James Baker III.
USW International Vice President Gary Beevers said refiners could work in partnership with the union or potentially face the issue in talks for a new national oil refinery workers' contract late next year.
"I can foresee an issue at the bargaining table that they're not going to like," Beevers said.
Gerard and Beevers said they would work with refiners in developing safety programs like the one the USW is creating with BP, which the two praised for its efforts to improve safety at its five U.S. refineries.
One issue will be reversing the industrywide trend to cut refinery staffing, which leads to worker fatigue, a factor investigators found in the BP Texas City explosion.
"It's going to cost some money, absolutely," Beevers said. "But, they're making some money."
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