70 Workers Launch Strike at Ashland Specialty Chemicals in Texas City
TEXAS CITY, Texas – This week, 70 skilled workers began an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strike at Ashland Specialty Chemicals in Texas City, Texas.
“This Unfair Labor Practice strike is truly about safety — for both our members and the community,” said Lewis Crawford, IUOE Local 564 Business Agent and Lead Negotiator for the Texas City Metal Trades Council, AFL-CIO. “This highly-skilled work should include the highest safety standards, but instead this global company is choosing to slash years of common sense safety protections and benefits. It’s time for Ashland Specialty Chemicals to come back to the table to negotiate in good faith.”
Ashland Specialty Chemicals Strike Details
WHO: 70 skilled workers from four different unions, represented by the Texas City Metal Trades Council, AFL-CIO
WHAT: Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strike at Ashland Specialty Chemicals, workers and supporters walking the picket line
WHEN: 5:00AM to 10:00PM every day
WHERE:
Picket line: Attwater Ave & Hwy 146, Texas City, TX 77590
Staging area: Moses Lake RV & Storage, 3902 HWY 146, Texas City, TX 77590
The workers are represented by the Texas City Metal Trades Council, AFL-CIO, and come from four different unions:
International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 564,
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 527,
United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry (UA) Local 211, and
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) District 776.
Members voted to reject the company's contract and authorize this strike because Ashland Specialty Chemicals:
Is forcing employees — including Operators — to perform work outside their craft, creating serious safety risks for our members and the surrounding community,
Is proposing to slash the paid sick time our members have earned over decades of bargaining. Under the company’s offer, the most senior employees — skilled workers who have given this plant twenty and thirty years of service — would see their sick time cut from weeks down to a handful of hours,
Is outsourcing the storeroom to eliminate union jobs and replace bargaining unit members with outside contractors.
The union has negotiated in good faith with the company since Jun. 1, 2026. Ashland Specialty Chemicals committed multiple Unfair Labor Practices during negotiations — charges have been filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Region 16 (case 16-CA-389483 and 16-CA-389474). The ULP strike officially began at 6:30pm on Wednesday, Jun. 24.
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