Union workers at Exxon Mobil Corp's (XOM.N) Beaumont, Texas, oil refinery overwhelmingly rejected the company's six-year labor contract on Tuesday, extending a lengthy standoff over job assignments.
https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/texas-refinery-workers-start-voting-exxon-contract-offer-2021-10-19/
ExxonMobil response to impounding of ballots in USW decertification vote
by KFDM/FOX 4
Wednesday, December 29th 2021
https://kfdm.com/news/local/exxonmobil-response-to-impounding-of-ballots-in-usw-decertification-vote
BEAUMONT — From ExxonMobil To: All Represented BMRF/B&P Employees
The USW has, once again, silenced your voice and stopped your vote. Through their baseless legal charges, the Union has prevented your vote from being counted in the election. This morning, the Company was informed by the NLRB that effective today, December 29, 2021, the mail-in votes will be impounded – and won’t be counted – until further notice.
While the USW’s actions may have resulted in your votes being impounded, the Company remains confident that it has acted in accordance with the law at all times, and the NLRB will dismiss these charges once they have completed their investigation.
As we have said numerous times, the Company will end the lockout when the Company and the Union reach a signed, ratified agreement or employees have removed the Union through decertification or withdrawal of recognition. Today, the USW’s action not only prevented your voice from being heard but also denied you an opportunity to end the lockout.
Does this mean the NLRB has found fault or that the decertification has failed? Why haven’t they decided?
No. The NLRB has impounded the votes while they continue to assess the merits of the charges and determine whether any unfair labor practice has occurred. The NLRB is reviewing an increased number of cases, causing a backlog in their reviews. As such, we have no way of knowing how long it will take for the NLRB to complete its investigation.
The NLRB has not found that the Company violated the law in any capacity; however, the Union continues to suggest that the charges being referred to the NLRB’s Division of Advice is somehow a “win” for the Union. To be clear, a referral is not indicative of a ruling against the Company. We are confident that the Company acted lawfully at all times and that these charges will eventually be dismissed.
What else can you do to remove the USW from the Beaumont Refinery and Lubes Plant?
In addition to voting “no” in the NLRB’s election, you may also consider signing the decertification petition.
If the majority of employees sign the decertification petition, the law allows the Company to withdraw recognition from the USW immediately without an election even if ballots are impounded. Following withdrawal of recognition, employees would no longer be represented by the USW, and the Company could return employees to work. This means that the withdrawal of recognition is still a viable option provided the majority of employees signed the decertification petition.
Please note, signing the decertification petition is separate from voting “no” in the NLRB’s election. If you have already voted “no” in the election and still want to decertify the USW, you should sign the employee decertification petition.
Any questions related to the employee led decertification effort can be submitted to Beaumont Area HR Department at Beaumont.Area.HR@exxonmobil.com.
Asia can readily supply competent, capable replacement talent who will hands down outperform them anyway. Should outsource them and move on.
Unions are just big political machines and no longer truly represent concerns of member employees.
Prove me wrong.
They brought in temp workers to help offload the engineers
@1upm Probably the engineers?
Who is operating the Beaumont plants while the union workers are out on strike?
Salaried engineers are also overwhelming rejecting their one year contract at Beaumont, Baytown, Houston, and Baton Rouge. At least the union was offered a six year contract.
Why is the most wealthy and virtuous company and state in the union so against input from their workers?
Lay off the workers. They are people too.
Certainly alot of legal bribery going on down lonestar way.
See how it all shakes out.
Way to see it is:
Rosneft buys us out if we get rid of them dang socialistic unions. Freedom, komrad.
or
Sinopec buys us out if we are cheap enough. No deutschbang dingleberries hanging.
The odds are not established yet.
"Overwhelmingly." Why not provide the vote tally?
Looking forward to the decertification vote, where non-dues paying represented workers also get to vote.
Exxon tells Texas refinery workers lockout will end if contract approved or union removed
By Erwin Seba
HOUSTON (Reuters) - Exxon Mobil Corp on Sunday told workers at its Beaumont, Texas, refinery their six-month lockout will end if they ratify the company's contract offer or remove the United Steelworkers union (USW) as their representative.
"As we have told the Union, the conditions which would end the lockout remain the same: the company will end the lockout when we have a signed, ratified agreement," Exxon said in a message posted on-line.
"This has not changed, and anything said to the contrary is untrue. Additionally, if employees were to decertify, the company would return employees to work."
Decertification is the process to remove a union from representing employees at a given location. The U.S. National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is reviewing a petition signed by at least 30% of the locked-out workers that could lead to a vote to decertify USW Local 13-243 in Beaumont as their representative. No date for a vote has been set.
Workers at the 369,024 barrel-per-day (bpd) Beaumont refinery and adjoining lubricant oil plant, which makes Mobil 1 motor oil, are scheduled to vote on Tuesday on the company's contract offer.
Bryan Gross, USW international representative, said the company chose to begin the lockout on May 1.
"The company asked, 'What has the union done?' The union has helped with groceries, assisted with bills, and is now providing health insurance for all of the 'world-class employees' at a multi-billion dollar oil company put on the street instead of bargaining in good faith for a fair contract," Gross said on Sunday.
The USW has urged workers at the refinery to reject the contract offer in Tuesday's vote.
The union filled a complaint with the NLRB in June alleging the purpose of the lockout was to remove the union.
Exxon said it began the lockout to prevent the disruption of a possible strike.
(Reporting by Erwin Seba; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell)
Those id--ts obviously do not want to go back to work.
Unions have become extortionist institutions looking out for the union and not for the worker.
Lol. They already lost most more in salary from the strike than they would have lost to the inflation
High inflation and no contract welcome to Annandale, when will the announcement come. Sure it’s transitory, corn and soybeans coming in…,