(Adds Nibarger, USW unavailable for comment; background)
HOUSTON, Dec 21 (Reuters) - A United Steelworkers union(USW) safety official has been tapped to lead the 30,000 U.S.refinery and chemical plant workers represented by the labororganization, two sources familiar with the selection said.
Kim Nibarger, a union safety specialist and former refineryunit operator, will take over as chairman of the USW's oilbargaining program on Jan. 1, according to the sources onSunday. They requested anonymity because the appointment has notbeen announced.
Nibarger replaces Gary Beevers, who retired at the end ofNovember after nine years as international vice president of theunion.
Neither Nibarger nor a USW representative were immediatelyavailable on Monday for comment.
The oil bargaining program drafts a national patternagreement that sets fundamental pay and benefits along withsafety policies that are then combined with agreements on localissues to create contracts between local unions and refineries.
The head of the program must approve an individual contractbefore it can be signed by a local union.
In February, the USW launched walkouts at 12 refineries,accounting for one-fifth of U.S. crude oil processing capacity,and three chemical plants after talks with industryrepresentative Shell Oil Co, the U.S. arm of Royal Dutch ShellPlc, failed to yield a new contract.
A four-year national pattern agreement between the USW andplant owners was reached in early March. The last strike endedin June.
Nibarger was a member of the USW negotiating team duringnational contract talks in 2009, 2012 and 2015. He was a unitoperator at the Shell refinery in Anacortes, Washington, beforegoing to work for the union on safety issues. He lives inPittsburgh, where the Steelworkers are headquartered.
The USW represents the largest group of unionized oilindustry workers in the United States. The International Unionof Operating Engineers and International Brotherhood ofTeamsters also represents refinery and chemical plant workers. (Reporting by Erwin Seba; Editing by Alan Crosby and RichardChang)