Remington AlessiDo you remember the Union Carbide plant that leaked toxic gas and subsequently killed an estimated 15,000 people? What about the BP well in 2010 that spewed oil into the Gulf of Mexico for months or perhaps the fertilizer plant explosion in Texas that registered on the Richter scale? These and many other industrial disasters were completely preventable, and all shared a common thread like the majority of large-scale industrial disasters: corporate decisions to deliberately neglect reasonable safety practices.
The United Steel Workers aren’t just on strike because of wages. They’re concerned about safe practices, because workers are in constant danger from a corporate culture that does not care for their safety. In Deer Park and Pasadena, Texas, refineries line the ship channel, processing everything from sweet crude to diluted bitumen from tar sands oil. The area makes up the largest network of petrochemical plants in the world. Plant operators act as the last line of defense against industrial disasters, and they are fearful of the results of company decisions to cut costs at the expense of safety.
“It’s like working around a bomb,” said one LyondellBasell employee while sitting outside of the Pasadena plant’s gates. The plant itself has not been inspected since 2010, when OSHA found sufficient violations to justify a fine. Striking employees were hesitant to give their names, expressing concerns about the tendency for industry and government to punish whistleblowers.
