Shell lays out welcome mat to USW

Shell said it's time to welcome striking workers back into the fray after finding "common ground" with negotiators from the United Steelworkers union.

USW initiated labor strikes at U.S. refineries Feb. 1, a walkout that eventually spread to impact about 20 percent of the nation's refining capacity. Several refineries continued normal operations under emergency stop-gap measures, though the union said the work stoppage would be in place until the agreement with Shell is ratified.

Aamir Farid, vice president for manufacturing at Shell, said union members are expected to vote on the agreement in a matter of days.

"We are glad to have found common ground and get an agreement in place," he said in a Thursday statement. "We know it's been a challenging time on both sides of the picket line. Now, as teams come back together, let's welcome everyone back with care and respect."

Shell, the company leading negotiations from the sector side, said it would boost wages gradually from 2.5 percent to 3.5 percent by 2019. For the USW, it said its "major grievances" were addressed in the tentative agreement, including those related to safety and workload assessments.

"We salute the solidarity exhibited by our membership," USW International President Leo Gerard said in a statement. "There was no way we would have won vast improvements in safety and staffing without it."

Genscape, which monitors refinery operations, said it's seen no major operational changes at refineries impacted by the strike.