On 12 March, trade unionists from United Steelworkers and envoys from Shell, representing around 15 oil refineries in California, Texas and other states, finally reached an agreement, following six weeks of strike action. In addition to the issue of salaries, health and safety was a topic which dominated discussions. The agreement will see an assessment of staff numbers and workload.
The movement’s size has been surprising; it is the most significant since the 1980 strike which lasted three months. On this occasion, numerous companies have been involved: Lyondell Basell Industries, Royal Dutch Shell, Tesoro, BP PLC and Marathon Petroleum Corp. All together, they make up almost 20% of all American production. The negotiators from Shell reached this agreement, on behalf of the industry, which will be taken up at local level. The sector employs 30,000 people, in 230 refineries
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