Texas Union Win: Ashland Specialty Chemicals Workers Ratify New Contract; End 42-Day Strike
TEXAS CITY, Texas – On Tuesday, the Texas City Metal Trades Council announced that the union has reached a new agreement with Ashland Specialty Chemicals, ending their 42-day Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strike.
“Our Texas City Metal Trades Council members showed up for each other, every single day,” said Lewis Crawford, IUOE Local 564 Business Agent and lead negotiator for the Texas City Metal Trades Council, AFL-CIO. "A strike is never easy. It asks everything of our members and their families, and this one asked more than most. We didn't win every fight at that table — but we won something no contract can put a price on: trust, unity, and a brotherhood forged on that picket line. We're not just going back to work. We're going back stronger, together, than the local that walked out 42 days ago."
The new contract with Ashland Specialty Chemicals includes:
9.25% wage increase over 3 years
80 hours of paid incidental sick leave
25 weeks of Short Term Disability leave
Limited incidental craft work
Increased vacation days
Restored Packager bidding rights
Restored seniority for bidding on new positions
“We’re proud of the union members who put it all on the line to guarantee safety for themselves and their community,” said Texas AFL-CIO President Leonard Aguilar. “The labor movement joined together to support the Texas City Metal Trades Council. Their new contract sends a powerful message to working people across Texas: when workers stand united, they win and build a stronger future for themselves and their families.”
“When Gulf Coast workers make the hard decision to go on strike, our labor movement has their backs,” said Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation Executive Director Hany Khalil. “For 42 days, these workers stood in solidarity – the third group of Gulf Coast workers to strike over the past year. When working families fight alongside each other – right here in Texas – they win.”
The Texas City Metal Trades Council is made up of workers from four different unions, including 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.
The Council began negotiating in good faith with the company on Jun. 1, 2026. The Council’s Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strike officially began at 6:30pm on Wednesday, Jun. 24, when the workers’ former contract expired.
###