Monday, July 3, 2017

Steelworkers threaten strike at South Philadelphia refinery



Roughly 750 union steelworkers at the Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery in South Philadelphia will be making a decision this week whether or not to strike because of midcontract changes to pension and health care benefits, the Delaware County Times reports.

According to union leadership, which delivered a letter to PES, a joint venture between Carlyle Group and Energy Transfer Partners that produces 335,000-barrel-per-day at the refinery, a large part of the United Steelworkers Union Local 10-1 contract is negotiated on the national level with representatives from refineries across the country bargaining with representatives from industry. Minor issues are then determined at the local level. Union leaders told the Times that the pension and the medical provisions are in the national agreement.


Roughly 750 union steelworkers at the Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery in South… more
An emergency meeting of union members will be held this week.

“It’s to explain where we are in the process of preparing for a strike and a strike vote the following week,” said Ryan O’Callaghan, president of the United Steelworkers Union Local 10-1. “They suspended our pension ... They increased the cost of our medical to our members and they changed the plan in its entirety. We are paying more for less coverage ... It’s breaking a national oil bargaining unit policy.”

PES management declined to comment to the Times.

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