If Pasco chemical and gas drivers strike, this is what could happen

A dispute over sick days could interrupt the flow of industrial gases and other critical chemicals to Eastern Washington hospitals, restaurants and industrial sites, including Hanford.

The 25 hazardous materials drivers for Spokane-based Oxarc Inc. have voted to authorize their first-ever strike as contract negotiations bog down over the company's move to reduce sick days.

The drivers work at the company's Pasco, Spokane and Yakima locations, with about half assigned to Pasco. They are represented by Teamsters Locals 839, 690 and 760.

The strike vote is the latest setback in contract negotiations that began more than a year ago. The drivers have been without a contract since May 2017.

Oxarc filed a bad faith bargaining complaint against the locals with the National Labor Relations Board last spring, which dismissed the complaint. The union has three complaints pending against Oxarc over wages, seniority and sick leave. Hearings are set for August.

"At this time we do not have any comment," said Jason Kirby, VP and general manager for Oxarc, a family-owned company that supplies welding and other industrial materials in Washington, Oregon and Idaho.

The drivers had not gone on strike Friday, when a meeting was planned in Spokane.

It wasn't immediately clear how widepread the impacts could be. Oxarc's role at Hanford is limited. Most officials at the cleanup site were off Friday and unavailable to discuss potential secondary impacts of a Teamsters strike.

The three locals collectively represent about 1,000 drivers serving a variety of businesses in the region, including Hanford, construction and freight businesses.

The union said its driver members will honor Oxarc pickets, halting delivery of industrial gases and other chemicals throughout the region.

"Our hope is that a strike is not necessary," said Russell Shjerven, secretary-treasurer for Local 839 in the Tri-Cities.

The union said its formerly friendly, 50-year relationship with Oxarc includes no previous work stoppages.

Shjerven blamed Oxarc lawyers for dragging out negotiations and taking steps to remove protections for senior workers and retaliatory firings.

He said the company's move to reduce the number of sick days for its drivers pushed members to authorize a strike.

The sick leave move came after Washington's voter-approved paid sick leave law, which took effect on Jan. 1. Most employers must allow employees to accrue at least one hour of paid sick leave for every 40 hours work.

Oxarc, which had more generous benefits, used the law to reduce its sick time obligations, the union said.

Oxarc's sick day policy is still above the state minimum, but was imposed without negotiation in violation of federal law, the union said.

"If the company won't respect seniority and fairness, it's going to have a problem," Shjerven said.

This story was originally published June 22, 2018 at 5:06 PM with the headline "If Pasco chemical and gas drivers strike, this is what could happen."