March Update from the NOBP Chair

As we move closer to ratification of our on-date National Oil Bargaining Program (NOBP) contracts, I want to thank the policy committee members – Steve Bohney, DeVon Crawford, Robert Cammarn, Ryan Anderson and Clay Bonin – for their hard work and support during the bargaining sessions with Shell. 

The members had not served on the policy committee before, so this was their first time being involved with the national bargaining process. They brought a lot of insight concerning the needs of the membership by conducting regular conference calls with their regions and getting that information back to Vice President Tom Conway and myself, as well as Mike Smith who assisted us at the table.  

Another thank-you goes to the committee alternates who, like the committee members, were all new to the process this round. They assisted with information-gathering, policy-setting and managing calls at times when the committee members could not be present. The alternates are Eric Sweeny, Kevin Herbein, Robin Tokach, Casey Wardell and Bryan Gross.

While every employer has so far put the NOBP pattern on the table, we have a number of local tables with outstanding issues.  Currently, there are five locations whose membership has voted down the proposal that has been put on the table. A couple of those sites have rejected a proposal more than once.  The issues range from changes in drug and alcohol testing programs to job consolidations and job elimination. 

Please be mindful that there are locations still struggling with local issues, and be aware that you may be asked to support them in the future through your policy member or council coordinator.  Talks are continuing at all locations that haven’t settled yet, and the off-date sites are coming up in the next few months, so we will be watching their progress closely as well.

Thanks to the staff, some of them working multiple NOBP tables during these last months, as well as the local leadership, who have taken the time and energy to get agreements on local issues that are helpful to their groups.  Without you all this process wouldn’t work.

In Solidarity,

Kim Nibarger
NOBP Chair
knibarger@usw.org
(Office) 412-562-2403

 

Press Inquiries

Media Contacts

Communications Director:
Jess Kamm at 412-562-2446

USW@WORK (USW magazine)
Editor R.J. Hufnagel

For industry specific inquiries,
Call USW Communications at 412-562-2442

Mailing Address

United Steelworkers
Communications Department
60 Blvd. of the Allies
Pittsburgh, PA 15222