Exxon offers new proposal to locked-out Texas refinery workers
File picture: A view of the ExxonMobil Baton Rouge Refinery in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. REUTERS/Kathleen Flynn
HOUSTON, Sept 29 (Reuters) – Exxon Mobil Corp amended the contract proposal being made to locked-out employees at its Beaumont, Texas, refinery and lube oil plant to incorporate some seniority safety, the corporate mentioned on Wednesday.
The provide marked the corporate’s first concession to the 650 employees on the 369,000-barrel-per-day refinery since a lockout started on Could 1. The corporate beforehand insisted the union schedule a vote on its “final, finest and last” provide made in January.
Officers with United Steelworkers (USW) native 13-243 are reviewing the proposal, based on an individual aware of the matter. The USW has mentioned the unique provide would destroy the seniority system and create separate contracts for employees on the refinery and the adjoining lubricants plant.
Exxon mentioned it supplied the revisions as a result of the union has careworn it needs to take care of current worker seniority provisions, based on an announcement.
The brand new proposal contains seniority safety for job transfers between the lubricants and refinery parts of the advanced. It additionally contains layoff safety for sure jobs and warehouse operator promotions in lubricants, Exxon mentioned.
“The amended provide, which comes after months of good-faith bargaining conferences, supplies additional help to our represented staff’ issues about safety and seniority, whereas nonetheless reaching the corporate’s goals of a protected, dependable operations, and a worthwhile website,” spokesperson Julie King mentioned in an e-mail.
If the brand new proposal is ratified earlier than Nov. 1, the employees will obtain a $500 bonus, Exxon mentioned. In July, greater than 75% of the locked-out employees rejected proposals to think about a vote on the contract.
The refinery and lube plant has continued to provide Mobil 1 oil and motor fuels with managers, supervisors and a few momentary operators employed because the lockout started.
Exxon started the lockout to keep away from a strike, the corporate has mentioned.
Reporting by Erwin Seba in Houston; Enhancing by Matthew Lewis and Peter Cooney
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