More than 70 engineers, machinists, plumbers and electricians at Texas City’s Ashland Specialty Chemicals are in a standoff with company management over outsourcing and “misclassification” that they say is forcing them to do jobs outside their skill sets and presenting safety threats.
A strike began when the workers’ contract expired June 24, and the union members say they plan to continue picketing until Ashland management gives in to their demands. Employees walk the picket line every weekday from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., and they have a large gathering during the 6:30 p.m. shift change on Friday nights.
Lewis Crawford, a leader of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 564, is the lead negotiator for a four-union coalition deemed the Texas City Metal Trades Council. Crawford told the Houston Press on Monday that workers are demanding an end to employees being assigned to jobs outside their craft, such as plumbers doing electrical work.
They also want restoration of the paid sick time members earned over decades of bargaining, and a halt on outsourcing storeroom jobs to eliminate union positions.
Ashland spokeswoman Carolmarie Brown issued a statement shortly after the strike began, saying that the company “is dedicated to the safety, health, and security of our employees, their families, and the communities where we work and live.” Brown did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday on the status of negotiations with union representatives.
Crawford said a federal mediator contacted him recently and they’re “going back to the table” with Ashland executives on Monday, July 27.
“It’s a light at the end of the tunnel,” he said. “It’s usually give and take, but in this case they didn’t quit trying to take. They took a chainsaw to our contract. We’re not really asking for anything. We’d be happy to keep the current contract and not even take a pay raise, and let’s move on down the road.”
Safety is non-negotiable, he said, and he’s also concerned about employees being displaced due to outsourcing. Economics, including ensuring that employees have the 10 days of annual sick leave offered to salaried workers, “is always negotiable,” he said, noting that they already gave up a request for parental leave, which is considered an industry standard.
Some of the employees on the picket line have worked for Ashland for more than 30 years and are not willing to quit jobs that they’re good at and that they love. They haven’t been paid while they’ve been on strike, but they’re not complaining about that, Crawford said.
“They show up every day on their allotted day and they walk the line,” he said. “We’re all bonding and meeting each other’s families. Other than the not getting paid part, it’s been a good experience for them. This means so much to them and they’re willing to stick this out until the company gets some common sense.”
Ashland, a global company based in Wilmington, Delaware, makes pharmaceutical additives and specialty ingredients for weight loss drugs, cosmetics and hair care products, among other things. Those on strike represent more than two-thirds of the Texas City plant’s workforce.
“Some of these people started at the entry level of the plant, which is called the packagers, and they did their four years there and learned the plant, then they bid over to operations,” he said. “They kept advancing within Ashland because the contract allowed them to. The older guys usually go to operations. That’s their retirement job. They’ve earned that. The company is trying to change all of that and dilute the seniority and take away the ability to bid unless they have a [process technology] degree.”
Texas City is known for being home to one of the nation’s largest concentrations of refineries and chemical plants. It’s also known for a 1947 explosion, in which a ship carrying ammonium nitrate exploded in the harbor, triggering one of the deadliest industrial accidents in U.S. history. Nearly 600 people were killed.
Crawford said that’s what happens when companies start cutting corners and expecting employees to work in areas where they’re not trained.
“I used to work in the plants in the ‘80s and ‘90s, and when you work in there every day, you get complacent,” he said. “When you start messing around with how things operate, it can be a time bomb. The 1947 explosion was before my time but in 2005, British Petroleum blew up [in Texas City]. This is a very real thing when you cut corners on safety.”
Union leaders began negotiating with Ashland on June 1 prior to the contract expiration. They’ve filed two complaints with the National Labor Relations Board, 16-CA-389483 and 16-CA-389474, alleging that the chemical company perpetrated multiple unfair labor practices.
The last strike at Ashland was held more than 30 years ago, Crawford said. The union leader added that he expects a compromise will be reached but he’s not confident it will happen at the mediation meeting next week.
“I’m hopeful that by Monday, the company understands what we need to do,” he said. “This strike helps no one, but sometimes they’re necessary. The union does want to resolve this. I believe we’ve been very reasonable, and I don’t believe the company has been. Hopefully the strike is what it takes for them to realize these brothers and sisters are serious.”
