USW strike update

International allies

On February 26, members of USW Local 235A and a delegation of union allies from around the world joined striking USW oil workers on picket lines at refineries in the Houston area. The international guests from unions in Australia, Great Britain and South Africa spent the week in Texas for a series of solidarity events which began on February 25 at the Local 235A Unfair Labour Practice (ULP) picket line in Sherwin Alumina, Gregory, Texas. Sherwin locked out 450 Local 235A members on October 11.

The group then joined USW Local 227 on the ULP picket lines at the LyondellBasell refinery in Pasadena, Texas, and USW Local 13-1 at the Marathon facility in Texas City. After the oil pickets, the group participated in a Family Day event organised by Local 13-1 in Pasadena.

The global delegation consisted of union leaders from UNITE the Union in the UK and Ireland, National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) in South Africa and the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) in Australia. Charlotte Upton, a member of Union and an electrician at Tata Steel, Scunthorpe, England said, “it’s important that we recognise that we all have the same struggles.”

Help on the picket line

On March 2, Acting President of the USW Local Union 7600, Janis thorn, presented USW Local 675 President Jim Norris with a cheque for US$10 000 to assist members in the Unfair Labour Practice Strike against Tesoro. District 12 Director, Bob LaVenture commented, “member to member is the best solidarity that we can do to assist each other. I commend Local 7600 and all the locals who are helping their union brothers and sisters.”

Special thanks has been given to Staff Representative Rosie Gonzalez who was instrumental in helping make this happen.

Edited from press releases by Claira Lloyd

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/refining/03032015/usw-strike-update/