Posted on 04/18/2002 8:55:02 AM PDT by RedWhiteBlue
PACE International Union Protests Harsh Treatment of American Workers By Venezuelan General and CITGO CEO at Trade Summit in Corpus Christi, Texas
NASHVILLE, Tenn., April 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Oil workers and members of the Paper, Allied-Industrial, Chemical and Energy Workers International Union (PACE) will be protesting today the harsh treatment of CITGO union members and employees by Venezuelan General and CITGO CEO Oswaldo Contreras at the AmericasUnidas trade summit in Corpus Christi, Texas.
``We place responsibility for the complete lack of respect shown by the company toward our union on General Contreras, who has allowed these practices to occur,'' said David Taylor, chairman of the CITGO union council, which consists of 1,100 PACE members from three major oil refineries and other CITGO operations.
``You cannot treat oil workers without rights and operate this company as a military operation,'' he added. ``We believe it is reprehensible for this company to enter our country and treat us like second-class citizens.''
CITGO is widely know in the U.S. for its 7-Eleven convenience stores and branded gasoline stations, and has been rapidly expanding here. CITGO's oil refineries, asphalt refineries and retail outlets are a huge market for Venezuelan crude oil. CITGO is a subsidiary of Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA), the state-owned oil company of Venezuela.
The AmericasUnidas Trade Summit is being hosted by the Port of Corpus Christi, and is being held at the Solomon P. Ortiz International Center. Mr. Contreras is expected to give the opening address, which starts with a breakfast beginning at 7:30 a.m. CST today.
PACE represents 320,000 members in the oil, paper, chemical, atomic energy, auto supply, and industrial mineral industries. Website: www.paceunion.org
The following handbill is being distributed to trade summit attendees:
A Message to General Oswaldo Contreras of Venezuela and CITGO CEO
We deplore your repressive tactics at CITGO. When you took over CITGO and moved to Tulsa, did you notice that you were in a different country -- where the rule of law takes precedence over the barrel of a gun?
As the union representing workers at three major CITGO oil refineries and several other facilities in the United States, we want to make the public aware of the harsh and oppressive treatment of workers by the executives of CITGO. You and your executives have ignored that CITGO workers are represented by our union and have rights under OUR laws.
At one refinery, your company fired 40 workers -- most of who have been reinstated by an arbitrator.
At another refinery, you have ignored the union altogether and used fear, intimidation and confusion in an attempt to take workers out of the union and sign individual contracts with them -- all in an effort to weaken and destroy our union.
You seem not to respect the fact that you cannot change a legally constituted contract -- believing that you can pick and choose what you like and what you don't like.
Your executives even refuse to provide information that we are legally entitled to under OUR laws.
We are told what we are going to pay for increased medical insurance costs, rather than being able to negotiate or even have a mature discussion about it.
We believe that use of military tactics is no way to run a refinery. We are deeply concerned about worker safety and the safety of communities, if this management style by Venezuelan military leaders continues. One worker has already been killed due to, what we believe, was gross negligence by your executives. An oil refinery, in the wrong hands, could easily turn into a vehicle of death and destruction.
Finally, we are dumbfounded that President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, who appointed you, portrays himself as a champion of workers and the poor, yet allows CITGO to engage in these repressive tactics against union workers in the U.S.
It is time that you and your executives respect workers' rights in the U.S.
CITGO UNION COUNCIL (TEL. 832-465-6566)
Paper, Allied-Industrial, Chemical and Energy Workers International Union
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