Help keep the massive locomotive, from derailing and destroying everything in its path

Support the national #USWstrike to keep the massive oil industry locomotive, from derailing and destroying everything in its path!

Yesterday yet another catastrophe occurred in Southern California where an Explosion Ripped Through the Torrence Oil Refinery.

This comes quite literally two days after a train carrying more than 100 tankers of crude oil derailed during a snowstorm in southern West Virginia on Monday, sending at least one tanker into the Kanawha River, igniting at least 14 tankers in all and sparking a house fire, officials said.gin to place the brakes on the million ton catastrophe causing war, chemical spill after chemical spill damaging all wildlife and the planet – which as one resident put it, looked like an ‘atomic bomb’. And just last month, another major explosion and fire in Ohio.

Coincidentally(?) these disaster’s are occurring, just as the national #USWstrike of steel and oil workers, is getting under way over safety and working conditions and use of untrained contractors. This strike is critical in importance for us all to support, as they may be the only hope in keeping the massive locomotive of the oil industry from derailment. Not to mention, the key source of why/who we wage resource wars throughout the planet for, and now as we are seeing, one chemical spill and environmental disaster after another – due to the greed and profit above all, at any cost – attitude of the oil industry.

Yesterday the environmental justice movement, called on community supporters to join and support the picket, and present included those from local unions including the ILWU/longshoremen and several other concerned citizens and groups. The strongest allies of all, by far – were the nurses, who showed their strength in numbers and with their signs and chants and were very outspoken towards the scabs that crossed the lines.

‘Not about the money’
I asked workers about their conditions and several were quick to jump in and share horror stories about safety issues they are dealing with, including co-workers getting burned with acid. Unlike the major/national #fightfor15 and other strikes that are being fought over wages, USW workers state fatigue as hands down the most major concern. One worker wanted to make it abundantly clear that this was not about money, as he made just under ‘six figures’ in regular pay and almost double that with overtime, and only 1% of the company’s total profits go to paying wages. He stated that they work 12 hour days, and have mandatory over time–on top of the regular hours they work, they are required to work a minimum of 1500 additional hours. If they don’t they will be cited and eventually fired. So, they were more concerned about their safety, way of life and of course the strength and power of the union.

Unfortunately, there was no way to stop scabs and management from crossing the picket so trucks and buses with people (hidden) kept cruising by. Apparently they were concerned with legal issues and avoiding an injunction, which would shut down their entire picket. The workers were very happy the community was out there, I think it lifted their spirits and everyone repeatedly thanked me and others for the support. I asked what more we could do, and they just said do more of the same, all day everyday.

The environmental justice movement is planning to show up on Wednesdays regularly. Imo, it would be good to have a regular day weekly to join picket, either weds and/or another day. We may not be able to stop the freight train, but we can definitely put the brakes on to slow it down considerably – the future of our planet may very well depend on it!

Here are the deets:
Join us WEDNESDAYS’ at 12/noon 

Climate and Environmental Justice Solidarity Day! 

At the USW Local 5 picket line

150 Solano Way, Martinez (or Pacheco, according to Google maps)

In solidarity.