Jesuit rebuffs bishops, activists on ending lockout - Crown Central Petroleum refinery strike, Pasadena, Texas

National Catholic Reporter, April 16, 1999 by Bill Quigley, Linda Cooper

"It seems that the workers are being deprived of their basic rights to a job and to a living wage, a violation of core Catholic social teachings," he said.

Ridley has said that he and the other three Catholics on Crown's board "are fully aware of the rich tradition of Catholic social teaching about social and economic matters." He says it's inappropriate for him to meet with the workers, especially with litigation pending.

Social justice in the soul

Said Fr. Sinclair Oubre of Port Arthur, Texas, founder of the Catholic Labor Network, "The catechesis for social justice must be a part of the very soul of the persons who make decisions. Before Catholics join boards of directors, they must be formed in the concepts of the Catholic social vision.

"One lesson that can come out of the Crown lockout," Sinclair said, "is the need to re-catechize our laity, clergy, and religious in their responsibilities as social Catholics."

Other religious groups have also requested that Crown officials end the lockout. The Baltimore Ministerial Alliance voted in early 1998 to support the workers. The National Baptist Convention, the nation's largest African-American church organization has endorsed the union boycott of Crown products.

Crown's two Texas plants process more than 150,000 barrels of crude oil daily into gasoline. Crown also has over 300 gas stations in eastern states that primarily operate under its Zippy Mart and Fast Fare brand names.

Separately, Crown is under fire over environmental, race and gender allegations.

Environmental groups have sued Crown for violations of the federal Clean Air Act and cited a report that the refinery had a threefold increase in pollution in the first 20 months after the lockout began and the union workers were replaced by less experienced workers.

In addition, a federal class-action suit was filed by employees against Crown in Texas two years ago alleging race and gender discrimination in employment and the creation of a hostile work environment for women and African-American employees.

Employees say that supervisors created and posted racist and misogynist cartoons and handbills in public places, charges Crown denies.

Cyrus Mehri, an attorney representing some of the workers, said, "We have examined literally dozens of potential cases, and we found Crown to have the most abhorrent and hostile workplace for women and African-Americans.'

Melanson, the butane worker, said, "Union members were told they could go back to work if Crown would be allowed to terminate a number of workers, mostly women and blacks, and do away with the union seniority system. That would wreck our union."

Mary Kambic, a Catholics for Justice coordinator, said the group will try to again raise the moral issues at Crown's board meeting April 22.