Union OKs U.S. oil refineries contract, averting nationwide strike

The United Steelworkers union has approved a new labor agreement, preventing a nationwide strike that could have impacted 30,000 workers at 26 U.S. oil refineries and petrochemical plants. The four-year deal includes a 4% pay raise in the first and fourth years and a 3.5% increase in the second and third years. While the national strike is averted, local issues may still lead to work stoppages at individual facilities, such as the BP refinery in Whiting, Indiana, where members are preparing for a potential strike or lockout.