A study of labor negotiation productivity concerns in the petroleum refining industry

Abstract

The primary objective of this study was to identify productivity factors relative to negotiating future labor contracts with the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers International Union (OCAWIU). A Delphi research method was utilized to accomplish this purpose. The Delphi panel consisted of 15 labor negotiators in the petroleum industry recognized as being experts in the industrial relations field. The study utilized three rounds to obtain the stated objectives. Round one involved the use of an open instrument to solicit productivity factors that would be beneficial in future negotiations with the OCAWIU. These items were edited to form 25 factors. In round two, two separate instruments were sent to the panel members who were asked to judge the value of each item on the first instrument, and to rank the ten most significant items on the second. The round three instruments were individualized for each panel member. The first instrument designated the group mean for round two responses and showed the individual's response. The second instrument showed the group ranking compared to the rank given by the individual. The panel members were allowed to change their original responses and make comments if they wished to do so. The productivity items were rated by the panel members, and descriptive statistics were used to describe the combined order of listings and weights for determining the relative importance of each factor in the consensus model. The nonparametric statistics were used to examine the degree of consensus between the mean values on the first instrument with the ranked values for the second instrument. No significant differences were formed. Twenty-five productivity items were identified and prioritized as viable negotiable items with the OCAWIU. The three rounds of the Delphi survey of petroleum employee relation negotiators showed clearly that these 25 productivity items, while not all inclusive, were among the most important to consider in future negotiations with the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers International Union.