Chevron and the Union Meet as the Third Week of the California Refinery Strike Approaches - Official

Tyler Kruzich, a spokesman for Chevron, did not respond to a request for comment.

Monday's meeting is the first in two weeks that the two parties will meet face to face.

Chevron has maintained to operate the 245,271 barrels per day (bpd) facility with managers and supervisors, but has begun recruiting for temporary replacement employees via online classified advertisements.

The adverts specify a salary rate of $70 per hour for temporary replacement employees who will be recruited for up to five months.

"Our staff on-site are rewarded fairly for their time and competence," Kruzich said prior to the two parties meeting.

According to the USW, the national average compensation for a union refinery worker after four years is around $45 an hour.

"They're throwing money to the scabs in an attempt to destabilize our union," White said.

Temporary replacement personnel are often recruited among retirees, former employees, and recent graduates of process operations schools.

The strike started when Chevron's contract bids were rejected twice by Local 12-5.