Let's get a little realism into this discussion. Rare is the oil worker who is not bringing home 6 digits every year. And for those that don't, it is usually a choice because they have outside businesses so they avoid any OT. Also, things don't happen like they do in the movies. There are not chain reaction fires and explosions happening across the plant. Are there fires? Of course. But they are usually minor and not common. The biggest danger I have come across is a complacent co-worker who won't follow basic safety rules because they feel nothing has happened to them yet, so they must be doing it right. The industry is old enough that new problems rarely arise. The majority of incidents I've seen were avoidable because it has been seen before but some people will not learn. The hours can be long but the work is not back breaking. The worst days are usually just steady and the majority are slow. Oil and chemicals are not running through open ditches or large exposed vats either. The material is in the pipes & tanks and the only time anybody should be exposed is either sampling or emergencies...both of which require that protective equipment be worn to minimize any exposure. And before you ask, I have been an hourly, 12 hr shift working refinery worker for over 20 years. I've worker with petroleum products, chemicals, acids, caustics, and the whole menu or gaseous streams so I have seen it all. But I had to work for a living before I was hired here. I've seen that the ones who have the most to say about how bad they have it have only worked in this industry, and have no point of reference. I know that my income is in the top 10-15% nationally. I definitely expect yearly cost of living increases, but I have been around long enough to know that I have had a good, steady income through the highs and the lows of the economy. And I am not the exception in this opinion. Most oil workers are happy with what they make but are not simple enough to turn down any raises or bonuses.

Everyone has to understand that we aren't out here playing a game. We arent making ice cream and candy. We are watching over voltile chemicals that can melt our flesh off. Slowly inhaling toxic air that is hammering years off of our lives. Absorbing in fumes through our skin that cuts through our lifespan. Missing years of Christmas, Thanksgiving and other Holidays. While our friends and family are awake, we are asleep and vice versa. We get up to go to work we look into the nights sky and when we go home we see that same night sky again. We suffer through the shiftwork , the cancer, the social issues, the shorter lifespans and the absence from our childrens lifes so that we can keep oil in the pipes. Keep gas in your car. Keep electricity in your home. Next time your at home watching TV nice and warm with your family on the couch, think of the working man that keeps the energy flowing through your life that allows you to do so. Not everyone can do what we do. We make sacrifices every day and hope that we make it home alive. Unfortunately not everyone does. How much is that one life worth to you. That one father, mother or child that is lost due to him or her putting in shift after shift so that the world can have its conveniences. We deserve every penny we get!

agree with you totally, I worked for a major chemical company for 25 years and was exposed to many carcinogens and most of the folks that I worked with and retired with have passed away with any kind of cancer that you can name. I have been fortunate so far but tomorrow is another day...Thank You and Bless you...most of the folks do not understand what sacrifices you and your co-workers make,,,,I do, been there, done that.

Absolutely , it is only understood by those who have been there and gone through the experience. Its as real as it gets. Hope all is well

Amen

just fyi....I am a refinery UNION worker and its real obvious most of you have no clue......my wage is less than 40 per hr , I pay for my health insurance, and spend most of my time in a refinery where any time of any day there's 100 different things that we work on that can kill us, meanwhile the rest , sit in their offices watching fox news badmouthing the "union scum" that provides you with the commodities and conveniences you couldn't live without , we risk our lives and take time away from our families providing a service that most don't possess the fortitude nor the knowledge to do. so I think when the oil companies wish to take away the small things that almost make this line of work worth it, the rest should just politely say thanks, and realize you don't do my job for whatever the reason, but I do my job, and this nation need the people like me to do this job because you wont. just remember ....in your nice warm house or filling the fuel tank of whatever you drive to go or do whatever it is you do, there's an OIL WORKER out in the weather in the middle of the night making sure that you have what you need to move this country forward.

I would love your job bluecollarguy! I've applied to the local refinery here many times and haven't got in yet! It sounds like you are very unhappy with almost $40/hr. I have to watch every dollar I spend because I live and pay bills on 500/week. I'll switch places with you anytime! (Bless your heart, you have to pay for YOUR health insurance)

not un happy......just replying to the hatred below....and I hope you get in , id love to see more get in. that's part of the problem with the oil industry...they contract out the work to unqualified people or companies which causes injuries to happen , so hiring full time staff allows the people who know the job and the equipment to do the job safely because we know the job and the equipment. keep trying , it took me a long time to get in, good luck ryne.

FYI many people have jobs. The truck drivers will give the same line of bull you do. The roughnecks give the same line of bull. The fishermen, give the same line of bull.

Oh no, less than 40/hr!? You poor thing...

first ,hourly wage was in rebuttal to a previous post....second its pretty obvious your an idiot, each of those jobs are dangerous and union or not, and they deserve to be compensated for their labor, as well as their level of risk.......what exactly do you do?

Sounds like you are compensated. To the tune of almost 40/hr.

Nobody makes you show up at work. Don't like it; consider it an opportunity for better employment elsewhere.

I do things you wouldn't have the knowledge or skills for. Not in this life.

as do I..... so now what? you think you're better than me because you claim to be educated? get this in your head...
1 you don't know me.
2 you obviously have no clue what your talking about.
3 still haven't answered the question......WHAT DO YOU DO!
I bet your some sniffling little poindexter hiding in mom and dads basement , running your mouth on this forum and others like it because in the real world your just a scared little punk. maybe you are educated.........but your certainly not showing it.

Quit whining.

well I guess that says it all.

Leave it to the leftists....oil goes down on the global market and they (a) aim to raise the tax on gasoline (b) raise labor rates & benefits and (c) increase Washington's regulatory reach.

WHAT THE "H!!!"
These workers are getting WAY BETTER than $50 hr. and they're complaining?
The average worker in the US is hovering around $34 hr.
The lower income folks, which compromises near 40% of all income, are BORDERING ON POVERTY!
.
My wage average has been stagnate since the very early 1980's. It's now 2015, 25 YEARS FOLKS at the same income regardless the cost of living increases and recession-/-inflation.
.

You must have pulled the $50/hr wage out your hind end. I don't know any USW worker that makes above $40/hr.
If your wages have been stagnate since the early 1980's, that's your fault for not growing a pair.

refineries have been scaled back to the point that capacity barely meets demand in the USA, often forcing the US to import refined fuels. This adds to the market price and is the goal of refiners. EPA issues are blamed for this lack of capacity but closer evaluation shows a different story and that is a story of price manipulation. Europe on the other hand has spare capacity. Refiners are seeing a spike in profits and a deal that is attached to those profits is reasonable for workers. The deal should be based on a standard accounting principle to avoid cheating with regard to the reporting of profits and of course if profits lower again then the additional compensation attached to profits would lower. This kind of deal should also be attached to management. The management deal will of course NOT be attached to profits and will stay high even as margins drop.
The US economy is the distributing income amongst it's people worse then at any time in history. This can not last for ever and will ultimately result in the destruction of capitalism. Too many restrictions on capitalism have been lifted in the past 30 years and if this is not addressed we will see it implode.

Union scum: go to hell!
Refiners: continue to automate more and cut back on rotten union "workers".

Truth, they are all SCUM. institutional investment, executive management, consulting firms, securities companies, Union management, workers. This nation has become a nation of scum, you included i am well sure!

Dear gas consumer, pay up to the union refinery worker or there will be big trouble.

I have a proposal, get rid of the unions

These Union boys might want to pull up a WTI quote. When it goes to $30, most of them won't have a job.

Low WTI crude prices do not necessarily result in increased profits for the refiners. What counts is the crack spread, the price difference between WTI and Brent crude. In the last few weeks the crack spread has closed to almost zero. I think the negotiations are going to be arduous.

Yeah, refinery is making no money.... That's why even the coker is running at max rates... because refineries are making no money.... you must be refinery management.

Of course I have a dog in the fight. Also the spread was 3.20 yesterday. Falling oil prices is the best time for refiners. Besides the hedges and futures. Retail prices always lag that leads to greater profits. And again, refiners don't run full blast when margins are bad. And guess what- Max Rates since July.

The difference between WTI and Brent crude prices was less than $2.00 yesterday. Brent actually exceeded WTI price a few times in the past week. The price refiners pay for crude in the USA usually correlates to WTI and the prices for their finished products usually is set by Brent. Therefore when the gap between WTI and Brent is small refiners profits tend to vanish. I have no dog in this fight, do you? Facts is facts.

http://www.nasdaq.com/marke...

Brent $48.79 WTI $45.59
Facts is facts...More than $2 bub. Plus, if that's the only way refiners make money, then let's close them all. See how that works out...