An Introduction to the National Oil Bargaining Program

Click here to download this as a PDF. 

National Oil Bargaining Program 

Union workers came together in 1965 to push back against Big Oil by forming the National Oil Bargaining Program. The program established a common expiration date and an oil policy that would be applied across the industry, regardless of employer. This was an important victory for workers and has been the root of our bargaining power since. 

Today, the National Oil Bargaining Program includes tens of thousands of USW oil workers across dozens of employers. The program includes refining, production, pipelines, maintenance, storage and petrochemical facilities that represent roughly two-thirds of all U.S. refining capacity. 

Together, we bargain with the industry for improved wages, benefits, job security and safety protections. 

Members who are part of National Oil Bargaining elect delegates to represent their local union in determining   our bargaining priorities, which we call the National Oil Bargaining Policy. All members then have the opportunity to vote to ratify the policy and participate in our national bargaining campaign. By voting to ratify the policy, we affirm that we want our negotiators to address these issues, and we authorize the USW leadership to call for a strike if we don’t reach an agreement once our contract expires. 

Our Oil Policy Committee 

We are represented at the bargaining table by USW International President Tom Conway, the Chair of National Oil Bargaining, Mike Smith, safety and technical experts and the National Oil Bargaining Policy Committee Members, who were elected by Local Union delegates at the March 2020 National Oil Bargaining conference. 

Regional Map: Policy committee members and alternates 

Region A (District 1, 2, 7)

• Eric Sweeney  
• Jim Wit

Region B (District 4, 8, 9, 10) 

• DeVon Crawford 
• Kevin Herbein

Region C (District 11) 

•  Robert Cammarn 

Region D (District 12) 

• Casey Wardell  
• Scott Campbell 

Region E (District 13) 

• Brandi Sanders 
• Eric Roy 

Getting Ready for Bargaining 

Our current national pattern agreement expires on January 31, 2022. Look for more information in the coming months as we gather feedback, work to build solidarity and prepare for national negotiations. The National Oil Bargaining Policy Committee Members were elected by Local Union delegates at the March 2020 National Oil Bargaining conference. 

Receive Mobile Alerts About Contract Negotiations: 

Text OIL to the phone number 47486. 

By opting-in for text message updates, you agree to receive recurring messages from the usw; message and data rates may apply. To opt-out, text stop. For help,  text help. Full terms and conditions at usw.Org/text. No purchase necessary.