HOUSTON, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Talks to end the largest U.S.refinery strike in 35 years are not expected to resume thisweek, sources familiar with the negotiations said on Mondayafter the number of plants hit by walkouts increased over theweekend.
Face-to-face meetings between the United Steelworkers union(USW) and lead refinery owner representative Shell Oil Co, theU.S. arm of Royal Dutch Shell Plc, might remain on holduntil the second week of March, the sources said.
The halt in talks comes after the USW pulled workers from three Motiva Enterprises LLC refineries in Louisianaand Texas co-owned by Shell after oil companies balked at apossible settlement.
Over the weekend, sources said negotiations might resume bythe middle of this week.
About 6,550 workers are walking picket lines at 15 plants,including 12 refineries that account for one-fifth of U.S.refining capacity. Refiners are using trained replacementworkers, primarily managers and engineers, to keep plantsrunning close to normal.
A USW spokeswoman declined to discuss the negotiations onMonday. On Sunday, the union said its negotiators were availableto meet with Shell.
A Shell spokesman said no talks have been scheduled.
"(We) look forward to resuming negotiations, whenever thatmay be," the Shell spokesman said.
More information might come from a news conference USWInternational President Leo Gerard has scheduled for Tuesdaymorning in Atlanta.
In a letter to employees, Shell said the major stickingpoint in the talks was the USW's push to shift daily maintenancework from non-union contractors to union members.
The company said it offered a 6.5 percent increase in pay tothe USW over the three years of the agreement.
The union has said it is seeking to preserve previousagreements on safety and tighten rules to prevent workerfatigue, as well as win back daily maintenance jobs for unionmembers.
Shell said using contractors gives it flexibility andprevents the layoff of union members.
Workers are also striking at the Shell refinery and chemicalplant in Deer Park, Texas, and at plants in California, Indiana,Kentucky, Ohio, Texas and Washington owned by BP Plc,Lyondell Basell NV, Marathon Petroleum Corp andTesoro Corp.
The nation's largest refinery, Motiva's 600,250 bpdoperation in Port Arthur, Texas, is running at reducedproduction as it attempts to restart a 60,000-bpd hydrocrackingunit that produces motor fuels, primarily diesel, source said. (Reporting by Erwin Seba. Editing by Andre Grenon)
