Thousands of oil workers and their employers reached a national contract agreement on March 12, bringing the country’s largest refinery strike in 35 years a big step closer to resolution.

The strike at its height involved about 7,000 workers at 15 plants across the country that together account for almost 20 percent of U.S. refining capacity.

The job action began Feb. 1, when workers at nine oil and chemical facilities walked off their jobs after the collapse of contract negotiations. According to the workers’ union, United Steelworkers, the oil companies had refused to bargain in good faith.

Both sides have praised the new agreement, which raises pay 12 percent over four years; preserves workers’ health care coverage and pensions; and introduces critical new health and safety provisions.

Now it is up to workers at each individual work site to adopt the agreement and resolve any outstanding local issues. In many places, this process is well underway; in others, workers remain on strike.

Steelworkers president Leo Gerard praised the workers for sticking together during a tough fight.

“We salute the solidarity exhibited by our membership,” he said. “There was no way we would have won vast improvements in safety and staffing without it.”

In These Times, March 16
International Business Times, March 16
Bloomberg, March 12