A representative for the United Steelworkers union at the Valero Port Arthur Refinery said Wednesday the group is awaiting contract negotiations with the plant, a day after its membership unanimously voted to call a strike if necessary.

Issues such as higher wages, an improved benefits package and other items will serve as the focal point when union negotiators meet with representatives from the Valero refinery.

Bobby Hollis, president of the local USW 13-423 in Port Arthur, said the group's contract expires Feb. 1, 2009, and at this point, they are trying to meet with Valero at the bargaining table.

He said the USW represents 500 of the plant's approximately 800 employees.

"We belong to the steelworkers union, but we're not all steelworkers," he said. "What we do is refine crude oil into petroleum like gasoline, diesel fuel and items like that."

Hollis added that the "worst-case scenario" would be the workers walking the picket line.

He noted that the group is trying to hold on to the benefits it had when it worked under Premcorp, which Valero purchased in 2005, he said.

"Every company that we have ever dealt with has come in and we've got the packages out of the way before they take ownership of the facility," Hollis said. "Valero never did that in 2005. What they have tried to do is implement some of their procedures and benefits that was less than ours. We've tried to get them to sit down and negotiate. They've refused."

Barbara Phillips, a Valero spokeswoman, e-mailed a statement to The Enterprise regarding the negotiations.

"The Company is currently preparing for upcoming contract negotiations with our various Unions at the Port Arthur refinery," the statement said.

"The current terms and conditions of the labor agreements are through January 31, 2009."

Hollis said other plant unions include the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers union, with 20 to 30 members, and a machinists union, with more than 100 members.

Usually every major union has what is known as an "international," which represents the union on a nationwide front.

Hollis said the USW international worked on the National Oil Bargaining Program this summer to develop a guideline combined with local issues for employees working at refineries.

Local issues are defined as topics such as wages and benefits packages.

Toward the end of each contract, a union membership meets and decides to give the company a 60-day notice that the contract is going to be due and open for discussion. At that same meeting, the membership can give the workman's committee the right to call a strike if needed.

Hollis said in most cases, the majority of area refineries have met with unions before Christmas to negotiate an upcoming contract.

"We're still out a couple more weeks. I guess the mood of the (union workers) is that the oil industry has made billions of dollars over the last three years," he said.

"Each day, although gasoline is starting drop, things are costing more, and that is more money out of our pockets to go to work and to buy groceries."

Hollis said that a second meeting was held for USW members at the Chevron Phillips plant.

Butch Chapman, the USW representative at the Chevron Phillips operation, was unavailable for comment.

Copyright (c) 2008, The Beaumont Enterprise, Texas. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.