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U.S. oil refinery closings strain USW union rolls

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Union optimistic clean energy projects can reverse decline

By Erwin Seba

GONZALES, Louisiana, Oct 29 (Reuters) - The United

Steelworkers union is counting on clean energy projects to spur

membership growth, offsetting losses at oil refining and

petrochemical plants, a union official said, even if Donald

Trump wins the presidential election on Nov. 5.

The USW, which represents about 30,000 crude oil

refinery and petrochemical chemical plant workers in North

America, said major growth may be coming as projects backed by

the Biden administration's Inflation Reduction Act are built and

provisions supporting union-jobs deployed.

"We anticipate it being a time of growth," said Larry

Burchfield, director of USW District 13, which includes four

U.S. oil rich states, at a regional meeting in Louisiana last

Friday.

He said there is a potential for 17,000 new union jobs

through projects backed by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

Republican candidate Trump has vowed to gut the Biden

administration's signature climate law that provides tax breaks

for clean energy projects, but Burchfield said he is confident

that will not happen as it was backed by both Democrats and

Republicans. Any changes would need Congressional approval.

"The Inflation Reduction Act was a bipartisan bill,"

Burchfield said. "There's a lot all sewed up in the IRA. It

would take a lot to undo it."

He remained optimistic about building membership even though

there have been no union wins at fast-growing gas processing or

wind projects while 1,400 jobs have been lost with refineries

closing.

At least 300 more USW jobs are expected to be lost in early

2025 as Lyondell Basell Industries' Houston refinery

halts processing in early 2025.

And refiner Phillips 66's plan to shut its Los Angeles

refinery complex in late 2025 will cost up to 900 total jobs,

mostly USW members.

At least five U.S. oil refineries have closed in the last

four years as rising costs and forecasts for weaker fuel demand.

Companies receiving U.S. support promise to be neutral in

union campaigns or to allow card check agreements, where workers

can approve union representation by signing a card, Burchfield

said.

So far, 30 companies have pledged to be neutral and two

companies have agreed to card check campaigns, he said. Those

companies include a Texas solar-panel manufacturing plant

announced by Canadian Solar ( CSIQ ).