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Happening Today: Over 500 Chevron Refinery Workers Strike


At 12:01 AM this morning, over 500 workers at a Chevron owned refinery in the San Francisco area went on strike, following a breakdown in negotiations between the union, the United Steelworkers, and the company.

The union indicated the strike would take place after Chevron’s most recent contract proposal was voted down and Chevron apparently refused to continue further discussions.  Keep in mind the prior contract between the union and Chevron expired about two months ago.  Despite the contract expiring, the parties continued working toward a settlement without striking.  What changed?  In short, the union has argued that given the high cost of living in the area, the workers needed a more substantial pay raise than what Chevron offered.  Despite Chevron apparently taking steps in the right direction, according to the union, the most recent proposal was still too far off from the union’s demands.  With Chevron withdrawing from the negotiation table (for the time being), that spurred the strike.

I would expect both sides to come back to the table in the coming days (or weeks) and hash out a new agreement.  For the time being, this news is not being well received in the midst of surging gas prices around the country (and the San Francisco area).


For additional information:  https://apnews.com/article/business-california-san-francisco-strikes-chevron-corp-9f78fd2b57ffc3f03227464f47171934

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