So does this news mean I better go and top off my gas tank before tomorrow?

The article said "A nasty labor dispute is likely to spook oil markets and sock consumers at the pump...."

The union workers would have had a stronger bargaining position if the price of oil hadn't been dragged down so low these last few months. They would have had better luck negotiating higher pay/benefits if they had done it last year when the price of a barrel of oil was well over $100 a barrel. Right now the stock of the oil companies and the oil sector companies have all taken a downward hit.

Oil analyst Phil Flynn said the employers appeared to have the upper hand. Refining profits have plunged along with the U.S. economy -- a startling turnaround from last year, when crude oil and gasoline set price records.

"The timing for workers is not very good," said Flynn, senior market analyst for Alaron Trading Corp.

Dave Campbell, secretary-treasurer of USW Local 675, said the oil giants who made huge profits last year "are now poor-mouthing us" in contract talks. "These oil companies are big, major companies," he said, "with lots of wealth that could be shared."

Yeah, it's not like Exxon Mobil just reported record profits.

Oh wait, yes they did.

I wonder if there will be any scabs who will cross over union lines to take the place of any of the striking workers? So many people are out of work now it's not an unlikely scenario.

I always back the unions but, hey, a job is a job and I want to work once I get relocated. I wonder what the oil companies would pay for temporary workers to fill in while the strike was on? I've always driven stick shifts in all the cars I've owned (like them better than automatics) so I bet I could drive a truck too. I see a chance for making a few $$$$. lol

"...but, hey, a job is a job and I want to work..."

You'll be hearing that argument to do away with the minimum wage before long.

A Woman that drives a stick shift has always been sexy to Me. Kuddos on that one Christine.

Larry

Scabs are worse than pond scum. They betray their fellow laborers. Rotten to the core. They are like a rat/snitch in a prison setting. Lower than dirt.

Larry

Larry,

Scabs are worse than pond scum. They betray their fellow laborers. Rotten to the core. They are like a rat/snitch in a prison setting. Lower than dirt.

I agree with you about union scabs as I come from a family of union workers (electrician, miners, airline pilot).

I was just saying that with the economy in the tank after 8 years of Bush destroying millions of Americans' jobs, don't be surprised to find men who normally wouldn't think of ever crossing a union line doing so now in order to feed their families. Times are going to get even tougher too.

Larry, maybe scabs care more for their own family, that their own children get fed and clothed. If I had to make a choice between my co-workers and my family, I'd choose my family in a heartbeat. That's a no-brainer

Larry, maybe scabs care more for their own family, that their own children get fed and clothed. If I had to make a choice between my co-workers and my family, I'd choose my family in a heartbeat. That's a no-brainer

Posted by goatman at 2009-01-30 03:57 PM | Reply

Your coworkers are supposed to be Your Family even if it's not by blood. I'd rather be shot in the front by a stranger than stabbed in the back from a family member.

Larry

You have your druthers, I have mine.

But I have a feeling if you had a two year old little girl who needed food, you would choose her welfare over that of Tom, Dick, or Harry down on the loading docks

But I could be wrong.

My choice is family over co-workers.

We can all agree that the procurement/processing of oil is a matter of National Security.

So I hope they strike. I hope they strike and don't return to work for weeks.

Please give Obama an excuse to nationalize oil refineries, rigs, and pipelines. He can draft oil workers into the Army and they can work for the same wage as American servicemen. Truman did it in 52, so I'd take my chances with this 'pro-anything-to-keep-the-oil-
flowing-Supreme Court.

Don't worry, Goat. The food is great!

Don't worry, Goat. The food is great!

My company is not union. In fact, we aren't even in the production end of the industry, which this story is about. We simply drill holes.

But the food is great! LOL

We simply drill holes.

But the food is great! LOL

#13 | Posted by goatman

It would be funny if your had to work on the rig we are designing right now for bp, probably be ready in about 4 years.

It would be funny if . . .

Is it a drilling rig? The reason I ask, it is unusual for an oil company to design their own rigs. Or is it a production rig? The Thunerhorse was built for BP. Just wondering if it is the same sort of deal.

The unions work for everybody,I've worked for companies that paid competitive wages and benefits to keep the unions out.

"I've worked for companies that paid competitive wages and benefits to keep the unions out."

That's usually what happens. They pay almost as much or slightly more, and hope the workers won't add up lack of say and the lower benefits and pensions.

Yeah,I know but it sounds good.

come to Arizona where you get paid in sunshine

I work with union stewards who are so frazzled and stressed out by some of the dumbass grievances that their fellow brothers submit. They are usually rubber stamped as rejected and then the process goes up several step to the arbitrator....then its a crap shoot...seems inefficient to me.....with regards to the oil industry workers - if it part of the agreement let them strike - our people somehow agreed to a no-strike clause,,,,but they did anyways back in 1979 for a few days..that was fun showing them that an Engineer does in fact understand how to do their job and perhaps better. But to avoid conflicts and difficulties I actually support the workers and accept their union activities in their quest to have better pay...as long as they stay competitive and productive. Historic union/worker issues such as safety are now universally adopted by most competent managers in pretty much all unionized industries - almost to the point in which the union is now trying to save the jobs of unsafe workers....

blah blah blah...onto another thread...

Anyone who goes on strike these days has got to be out of his mind. You do that when labor is in short supply, not when unemployment is rising. And since none of Obama's Bag'O Goodies is headed to Houston or the oil patch, it's not like anyone in Washington gives a damn about a $120k oil worker.

Translation: The price of oil is too low so they are striking to raise the price. Republifucker or Vaginacrat they are all bought by the same oil mafia cocksuckers.

I'd love to see the United Auto Workers go on strike.

I'm sure no Neo-Cons will have any issue with Obama should he decide to send them back to work under penalty of losing their job, right?

Just wait for the other shoe to drop when the corporate real estate market crashes.

As was brought up against the big3, only flipped. Have the companies short changed thier end of the deal? Why the strike? Because its progressing slowly? Are the companies negotiating in bad faith? Has the company broken promises?

Forgetting for a moment, unions are monopolies. Should a company that can't negotiate to thier favor be allowed to kick out union employees, bring in a different union?

This is a nuclear technique used to get companies to sign , to them, unfavorable contracts. This is how its done. Then in the future DR posters can claim the employees held up thier end of the deal, when the company didn't. Why did the company sign the contract if they can't deliver.... well now you know, they were coerced, kicked in the balls so to speak.

This could be understandable if the employees have worked for a period of time without a contract, or working conditions were deplorable in someway. But doesn't appear to be the case.

Something changed this month, and unions will be bolder in future in thier demands and coercion.

Oh bullshit shawn. haven't you heard the left wants higher oil prices so they can justify alt energy? Left leaning MoveOn.org guru George Soros 1/29/09.....When the left says it, it's for "our" own good? Typical hypocritical dr left

"Alternative energy and developments that produce energy savings could serve as a new motor, but only if the price of conventional fuels is kept high enough to justify investing in those activities. That would involve putting a floor under the price of fossil fuels by imposing a price on carbon emissions and import duties on oil to keep the domestic price above, say, $70 per barrel."

Get it?? The left wants to tax the us for "carbon" and put tarrifs on the fuel..... they insist on outsourcing.

"""Forgetting for a moment, unions are monopolies. Should a company that can't negotiate to thier favor be allowed to kick out union employees, bring in a different union?"""

Only if unions could kick out management for incompetence and abuse....could of saved a few trillion dollars on wall street.

"""Forgetting for a moment, unions are monopolies. Should a company that can't negotiate to thier favor be allowed to kick out union employees, bring in a different union?"""

Only if unions could kick out management for incompetence and abuse....could of saved a few trillion dollars on wall street.

There is no left in American politics nor media. Not one.

There are fascist republifuckers, and slightly less fascist vaginacrats.

The strike is a joint effort between the corporate feces and their union whores to raise the price of oil. That is all.

More profit for them.

FUCK YOU!

Only if unions could kick out management for incompetence and abuse....could of saved a few trillion dollars on wall street.

If only voters had thought of that.

"Only if unions could kick out management for incompetence and abuse....could of saved a few trillion dollars on wall street.

#29 | Posted by panchovilla "

Wall street is not unionized, nor has any union ever even tried to organize their employees.

BTW Do you mean workers should seize compnies from shareholders, own and run them themselves?

That's priceless. I guess to hell with the world's stock markets???

Only if unions could kick out management for incompetence and abuse....could of saved a few trillion dollars on wall street.

#29 | Posted by panchovilla
Thats a dumb ass statement. Should your gradner, or plumber, or electrician for your house be about to kick you out because you are a dumb ass? If so, you better start packing!

Oh crap! I guess the stock market is going to tank once again when they strike. The economy is going down the drain even faster on Monday.

Fill all your gas cans and cars etc....

Oh bullshit shawn. haven't you heard the left wants higher oil prices so they can justify alt energy? Left leaning MoveOn.org guru George Soros 1/29/09.....When the left says it, it's for "our" own good? Typical hypocritical dr left

#27 | Posted by DavetheWave at 2009-01-31 03:56 PM | Reply | Flag:

Bush is a 'leftist'?

Who knew!

That's priceless. I guess to hell with the world's stock markets???

Hasn't the DOW pretty much gone to hell already -- along with the rest of the global stock markets?

Have you been incommunicado in some cave since August 2008 or what?

Ask all those people whose 401k's are now worth 1/4th of what they were worth even just three years ago what they think about today's stock values.

I predict the DOW will hit 7200 before it starts to go back up. Not all stocks will be dragged down to rock bottom but enough major stocks have taken a big enough dive to make some major changes in a lot of folk's retirement plans.

Just wondering if it is the same sort of deal.

#15 | Posted by goatman

it's the same sort of deal. i'm a technical software administrator, my seed files are from thunderhorse.

My rig was a couple of miles from the Thunderhorse when she took that dizzying tilt. I got some pics of it.

Did you hear about the Horizon about 6 months ago?

you go unions

Ask all those people whose 401k's are now worth 1/4th of what they were worth even just three years ago what they think about today's stock values.

#37 | Posted by CalifChris

Newsworthy if true.

While I know people who have lost 35 percent of their 401k I don't know anyone who lost 75 percent of their portfolio unless they were invested with someone like Made-off, in which case they were nuts for having most of their money in one coffee can.

WHATSLEFT

I had heard 75% but then I listen to CNBC and they hype the economic news. I guess you actually can't put a flat percentage number across the board for 401k losses as everyone invests their 401k's differently. Those heavily invested in risky stocks took more of a loss, those invested in safer mutual funds did not.

And anyone foolish enough to invest their 401k in their own company's stock -- well, good luck because they'll need it. That's the No. 1 thing you should NOT do -- have your 401k invested in your company's stock. You should always keep it separate.

I watch Jim Cramer's show -- "Mad Money" -- he's funny and nutty and entertaining. He does give some good stock advice and he's always telling people to DIVERSIFY! Don't keep all your stocks in one "type" of stock.

Here's an interesting article --

Never been in a union,but history doesn't go back twenty years.Ever hear of robber barons.they've (unions)done alot for all of us.

Chris,

What you say about waiting 30 years is so true. It's one of the reasons I'm not completley freaked by the state of the economy. I have many years in front of me before retirement. In all honesty they booms had gotten so bad that a young man starting out these days was screwed from the get go. With some economic contraction those same people (me) will find themselves in a much better position if they can hold on for a couple years. The next couple years will not be fun no matter what your age though.

Looks like more people have Obama-itis, and want a "share of the wealth".

I say fire them all and hire a bunch of people on work visas, cheaper gas = cheaper transportation = cheaper milk, and my son drinks a swimming pool worth every month.