HOUSTON, Jan 25 (Reuters) - In five days of negotiations fora new three-year contract covering hourly workers at 63 U.S.refineries, the United Steelworkers union (USW) has sent onlymessages of frustration to its members.
Twitter messages on Friday and Saturday said one industryoffer had been rejected and the talks with lead industrynegotiator Royal Dutch Shell Plc were moving slowly.
On Sunday, the union said its members were being angered bythe actions by some oil companies in talks over local issues.
"Anger builds by USW members as oil companies play games atlocal tables," read Sunday's message.
The negotiations underway between the USW and Shell are toreach a national agreement that sets a floor on pay and benefitsalong with some other issues for USW members.
At each refinery, the local union and plant managersnegotiate on questions specific to that location. The nationalagreement and local agreement are put together to make acontract at an individual refinery.
For its part, Shell said it thought a deal was possiblebefore the current contract expires at 12:01 local time on Feb.1.
"We remain optimistic that a mutually satisfactory agreementcan be negotiated with the USW," Shell spokesman Ray Fisher saidon Saturday night.
At least five contract proposals were rejected before anagreement was reached in 2012 on the current contract. The 2012agreement was reached just hours before the contract was set toexpire.
USW International Vice President Gary Beevers, who is theunion's lead negotiator, does have authority to call a strike ifa new agreement is not reached.
The union and refiners have made preparations for a possiblework stoppage.
The Steelworkers are seeking annual pay raises double thoseof the last agreement. The union also wants work given tonon-union contractors to go to USW members, a tighter policy toprevent fatigue, and reductions in members' out-of-pocketpayments for healthcare. [See FACTBOX ID:nL1N0V5028] (Reporting by Erwin Seba; Editing by Eric Walsh)
