By Steven Oberbeck

| The Salt Lake Tribune

A small but loud group of Utah oil refinery workers gathered Tuesday night for a rally to call the public’s attention to their expiring labor contracts.

The workers, who are affiliated with the United Steel Workers of America, assembled in front of the Shell and Chevron filling stations at the intersection of North Temple and Redwood Road in Salt Lake City.

	Join the Discussion
	Post a Comment

"The contracts covering our members at the Tesoro and Holly/Frontier refineries [expired at midnight Tuesday]," said Steve Grosso, a spokesman for the USW locals in Salt Lake City. "The contracts covering the USW locals at the Chevron and Flying J refiners in Utah expire in April."

Gross said the national contract covering the wages and benefits of approximately 20,000 of the 30,000 union oil workers nationwide expired at midnight Tuesday, as well. The contract covering the remaining 10,000 workers nationwide expires in April. Contract talks on the national level are being conducted between the USW’s National Oil Bargaining Committee and Shell Oil, which is the refining industry’s representative.

There are 450 to 500 bargained-for employees in Utah.

"What our members want the public to know is that their wages and benefits make up less than one percent of the price of a gallon of gasoline or diesel fuel," Grosso said. "We want a fair contract but what we also want the oil refinery industry to do is commit to investing in improving safety at all of its facilities."

Gross said equipment or safety-process failures have resulted in 18 deaths and many injuries in the industry nationwide over the past three years. Although there were no deaths in Utah, Grosso said there still is a need for an increased emphasis on safety at Utah’s refineries.

"The companies owe a safe workplace for its employees and their families and the communities in which they operate," the USW said in a statement announcing the rally.

Efforts to contact industry representatives for comment were unsuccessful.