[Donger]

Originally Posted by Hydrae

I'll have to go do some more research when I get home this evening but I don't know that the strike by the steelworkers at the refineries is having much impact. I read last week that the refining was not impacted as it is not the refinery workers themselves that are striking, it is the steelworkers who do maintenance and upkeep.

I may be completely wrong on this but will check later.

Shell is the industry representative during the negotiations with the steelworkers union.

The union has stated it is on strike because of safety concerns for its members and the community, but Shell has said otherwise. The oil and gas company said that the major sticking point was the union's demand that Shell replace routine maintenance contractors with union-backed employees.

Strikes are ongoing at 15 plants around the country, five of which are in Houston. Twelve of the 15 plants are refineries that represent 20 percent of U.S. production. Earlier this week, workers walked out of the largest U.S. refinery, the Motiva Enterprise refinery in Port Arthur.

Houston-area steelworkers have been on strike since Feb. 1, when workers walked out of LyondellBasell Industries (NYSE: LYB) in Houston, Marathon Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: MPC) Galveston Bay Refinery in Texas City, Shell Oil Co. Deer Park Refinery, Shell Deer Park Chemical Plant and Marathon Petroleum Houston Green Cogeneration facility in Texas City after midnight.

The union represents 30,000 workers nationwide, 5,000 of which are in the Houston area.

Texas is a right-to-work state, which means individuals are not required to join labor unions.