Exxon, Steelworkers Union Dispute Lingers On In Beaumont

Exxon, Steelworkers Union Dispute Lingers On In Beaumont

ExxonMobil Beaumont Refinery at dusk. In the midst of this year's major energy-related developments, a very interesting bit of drama has been taking place in Beaumont, Texas, where ExxonMobil XOM operates one of its largest major refineries, along with a blending and packaging plant for Mobil 1 motor oil. Among the thousands that Exxon employs in Beaumont - it is by far the city's largest employer - 583 have chosen to be members of the United Steelworkers Union (USW) Local 13-243 chapter there, which has been involved in an ongoing compensation dispute with the company throughout 2021. My first reaction upon becoming aware of the dispute was to ask why Exxon was engaging in labor negotiations with any union in Texas, which is famously the nation's most populous right-to-work state. This was especially intriguing since the USW chapter's membership involves just a fraction of the overall work force. A little research revealed that Local 13-243 was established during the buildup to World War II in 1940 - the refinery itself was built and opened in 1903 after the discovery of the nearby Spindletop field - long before the Texas right-to-work law was passed in 1993, and was thus grandfathered into