Exxon baton Rouge to cut jobs

[scubasteve]

Come January 2011, Exxon will be using contract labor to operate their docks in Baton Rouge. Goodbye good paying jobs, hello $12/hr contractors.

 

[jmcrawf1]

Get some of that hope and change......

 

[Gus McCrae]

Come January 2011, Exxon will be using contract labor to operate their docks in Baton Rouge. Goodbye good paying jobs, hello $12/hr contractors.

Don't know if Exxon is structured the same, but the US auto manufacturers have done the same thing for years in an attempt to reduce their Unionized Labor Forces. The more they can contract out, the fewer union jobs.... at least in the companies eyes.

 

[themcfarland]

yep, and no more benefits, or paid insurance and more laborers who cannot speak engwish

 

[scubasteve]

They have been chipping away at it for years. Keep in mind that the docks at Exxon BR is the largest unit at the facility. They move ALOT of product and a lot of variations. The dock is a good 1/2 mile long and can accomodate 3 ships and at least 10 barges at one time. The chance of a spill or accident runs high. Hope the company that gets the contract is up to the job.
Watch the paper for the next few months if you want in on it.

 

[Yrdawg]

Don't know if Exxon is structured the same, but the US auto manufacturers have done the same thing for years in an attempt to reduce their Unionized Labor Forces. The more they can contract out, the fewer union jobs.... at least in the companies eyes.

PPG has done the same thing here...few years ago the unions struck, the strikers and the scabs were bar b q 'n on the line, strikes ain't what they were

Round here strikes meant gunfire and clubs, people were serious...but I digress

Now a new hire is on the 12.00 hr scale and has to work his way up to the bid jobs, which are gettin cheaper by the week...

So many of all kind of workers are so committed and bound by their lifestyle they will sell out just to not loose what they have ........which they are going to loose anyway, just a little farther away

Most of us haved lived too fat and called it the american dream, when the american dream , to me , would be freedom from debt, independence from financial problems...I dunno, I ain't qualified , just making observations but it looks like many have become enslaved to a lifestyle they were led to believe was good by hollywood, who is owned by washington...

 

[sraacke]

Goodbye good paying jobs, hello $12/hr contractors.

In my line of work $12 is very good pay.

 

[CEHollier]

I worked as a contract operator off shore in the 1980's. I was payed $8.00 hr. by the company and Chevron payed them $20.00 hr for my services. Soooo the contract company kept $12.00. If the contracting employee is paid directly they can get insurance and come out ahead. However, when a company is payed keeps over half of the revenues and the employee is paid the rest it's not such a good proposition. I had a friend that contracted directly to another oil company and kept the whole $20.00 per hour. At the time he did well.

 

[Guate_shooter]

It is not uncommun in the oilfield business to work as a contractor or consultant now a days, seems that it is the way to go if you want to make some serious $$$$$ and there are companies that will provide you insurance for a day rate.

Most dispatchers, fluid hands and company man are consultants.

 

[CEHollier]

I had a consulting company doing work for Exxon/Mobil and other petrochemical companies 6 - 8 years ago. I was the contractor and kept the whole pie. Money was very good. If a person is a roustabout or operator and work for a contract company the money isn't so good.

 

[BOSS351]

Maybe somebody can tell me if this is true or not. I was told that ExxonBR was the last "holdout" where dock personnel were company folks. If so, its amazing Exxon kept it company manned this long.

 

[Bayoupiper]

Come January 2011, Exxon will be using contract labor to operate their docks in Baton Rouge. Goodbye good paying jobs, hello $12/hr contractors.

Hello to dockside accidents!





.

 

[headshot]

Come January 2011, Exxon will be using contract labor to operate their docks in Baton Rouge. Goodbye good paying jobs, hello $12/hr contractors.

The bad thing is the contractor employing the $12 an hour workers will be charging Exxon $60 an hour for the employee. I'll never understand this business. They'll spend 10 million to save 500K.

 

[CEHollier]

The bad thing is the contractor employing the $12 an hour workers will be charging Exxon $60 an hour for the employee. I'll never understand this business. They'll spend 10 million to save 500K.

If Exxon owns the contracting company that would be a sweet deal for them. Sucks for the dock workers. That is bad for the BR economy from many perspectives.

 

[xobelkcat]

I have worked at almost every Exxon/Mobil refinery in the US as a contracted employee, and my personal opinion is that the contract workers are usually held to a higher safety standard than the Exxon/Mobil employees.

Im not saying an accident wont happen with contract workers, or that Exxon employees are going to have an accident. Im saying that being complacent is what causes most accidents and can happen to anyone. Although I think there is a greater chance of the Exxon/Mobil worker becoming complacent because they go to the same job every day without much change in the work scope. Where a contracted employee will do many different jobs demanding them to stay on top of whats going on.

Just my 2 pennies.

 

[scubasteve]

The employees working on the dock will be dipersed to various units around the plant. I wouldn't hold out for an Exxon job in the near future.
There are probably two companies in the running for the dock contract. Go to work for either one amd you'll be lucky if any plant on the river will consider hiring you, as they have an undertable agreement not to hire away from these companies.
I have contravted with EM before, and as stated, made some good money. However, when you work for the contract company, they keep 50-80% and you get the crumbs.
BayouPiper, you hit the nail on the head. Those docks run 28 hrs a day, 10 days a week, 376 days a year. There is no shutdown for turnarounds. No need to worrry, EM has a good "relationship" with the USCG. Kinda like BP has with them.

 

[MonarchC88]

Ninja Edit.

 

[posse comatosis]

I'll never understand this business

It's all about supplier kickbacks.

 

[sksshooter]

i work for the company that will be taking that contract and i can tell you they won't be $12/hr employees and we have a very high safety record in this industry. i work the docks at another facility and we have a very long standing safety record and spill record. my company doesn't just put any idiot in the more complicated positions. yes every company has their tards but they don't tend to make it to the more critical positions.

 

[jimdana1942]

They said either cut or raise gas prices to $10 a gallon.

I say, "cut, cut, cut"!