By Sherry Koonce

The News staff writer

With just a few short months left before union contracts expire with local oil companies, some members of the United Steel Workers District 13-423 in Port Arthur are prepared to strike if they have to.

In separate meetings, USW members employed at Valero Energy Corp., and at Chevron Phillips Chemical Co. voted unanimously Tuesday to authorize a strike if negotiations continue to stall before the Feb. 1, 2009 expiration date of their contracts.

In addition Valero and Chevron Phillips, the local USW union has contracts with three other Port Arthur companies including Total Petrochemicals USA Inc., Motiva and Flint Hills Resources.

Tuesday’s vote will give Valero and Chevron Phillips company representatives 60 days notice of an impending strike, Bobby Hollis, president of the USW, and chairman of the Valero employees group, said.

Prior to the Valero vote, Hollis said there had been some discussion among members before they voted unanimously to authorize a strike.

Union members are not bound to strike, but have that option once members authorize a strike vote.

Hollis said he was concerned that Valero and the union were not farther along in negotiations.

“The way things are looking, it could be an uphill battle for us,” Hollis said of the Valero contract negotiations.

Valero employees were already concerned that the company changed employee benefits without giving union representatives the right to bargain, Hollis said. In response, the Union filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board, and is waiting for a response, he said.

Hollis said he expected wages and benefits to also be sticking points in the negotiations.

“For the past eight years, during the Bush Administration, there has been an anti-union atmosphere. We feel like, but don’t know for sure, the Obama administration will be a more labor neutral administration,” Hollis said.

Barbara Phillips, public information director for Valero’s Port Arthur plant, said the company was preparing for the upcoming negotiations with the various unions at the Port Arthur refinery.

“The union strike vote is part of their preparations with the company,” she said.