Texas oil workers on strike for safety

This video from the USA says about itself:

US Refinery Strike Widens to Include Nation’s Largest Plant

21 February 2015

The U.S. refinery strike widened on its 20th day, with workers at the nation’s largest refinery walking off jobs and joining picket lines on Saturday as the United Steelworkers union (USW) pushes for a new contract that improves wages and safety.

Strikes are underway or have been called at 15 plants, including 12 refineries with a fifth of U.S. crude processing capacity. The stoppages, which have forced companies to rely on trained temporary workers to keep plants running close to normal, are the largest in the refining sector since 1980.

Shortly after talks between union and oil company representatives ended on Friday night, the union notified Motiva Enterprises [MOTIV.UL] of a strike by its members at the company’s 600,250 barrel per day (bpd) refinery in Port Arthur, Texas.

The USW also gave notices on Friday of strikes to begin in 24 hours at Motiva’s 235,000 bpd Convent, Louisiana and 238,000 bpd Norco, Louisiana refineries and the Shell Oil Co chemical plant in Norco, the union said.

From daily The Morning Star in Britain:

Texas oil workers walk out in fight to improve plant safety

Sunday 22nd February 2015

TEXAS oil workers at the Motiva refinery in Port Arthur walked out yesterday as part of the United Steelworkers (USW) union’s fight to improve workplace safety.

Workers at the plant owned by Shell and Saudi Arabia downed tools at midnight.

The union also gave 24-hour strike notices to bosses at Motiva’s refineries in Louisiana at Convent and Norco, as well as a Shell chemical plant at Norco. More than 1,300 USW members work at the four plants.

“Adequate staffing levels, worker fatigue and other important safety issues must be addressed,” insisted USW vice-president Tom Conway.

USW’s wider work stoppage began on February 1, and before this weekend involved 11 facilities and 5,200 workers.