Herbert Rojas, manager at Diesel Direct in Fresno finishing applying a "My Job Depends On Oil" on his work truck. Photo by Frank Lopez.
Written By Frank Lopez
BizFed Central Valley launched its public awareness campaign to call for support for workers in the oil industry.
The business advocacy organization hosted a press event this morning at trucking company Smartway Express’s facility in Fresno with representatives and workers in the oil industry.
BizFed Central Valley’s “My Job Depends on Oil” campaign is meant to fight for jobs locally, regionally and throughout the state for oil workers experiencing feelings of job insecurity.
The campaign is intended to mirror the “My Job Depends on Ag” campaign and sticker started by Steve Malanca, who has worked in the ag industry for decades and was also present at the event.
CEO of BizFed Central Valley Clint Olivier said the team had been working on launching the campaign for the last four months in the midst of controversial debates about energy and the oil industry.
“More than a quarter million workers directly work in the oil and gas industry and they’re under assault from bureaucracies and politicians,” Olivier said.
Olivier said the “My Job Depends on Oil” decal sticker is meant to be put on trucks and vehicles to raise awareness of how oil is used by every industry and everyone.
“The same attempt with ‘My Job Depends on Ag’ decal was to try and unite the industry,” Malanca said. “Now we have ‘My Job Depends on Oil’ and I know this decal will be embraced by the industry.
According to a 2019 report from the Western States Petroleum Association, 152,100 Californians are employed by the oil and gas, industry.
In California, the industry creates a $152.3 billion impact.
In Fresno County, 2,969 residents are directly employed by the oil and gas industry.
Tyson Bagley, United Steelworkers Health and Safety representative with Phillips 66 San Francisco Refinery in Rodeo, CA, has been in the industry for the last 12 years, first starting off working in field drilling for oil.
Bagley said that environmental activist groups and politicians are wrongly placing blame on the oil industry and wants more people to consider the workers who depend on jobs in the industry.
“We are not the enemy, we are the answer to the problem,” Bagley said. “We are the blue collar professionals that work tirelessly 365 days a year, 24 hours a day to meet the demands of the 40 million people that call California home.”
Bagley said that California produces 463,000 barrels of oil per day, while consuming 1.8 million barrels of oil per day.
He said that if more bans on wells and oil drilling, California will have to depend more on foreign oil from places like Russia and the Middle East.
The proceeds from the sales of “My Job Depends on Oil” decals will go towards advocacy efforts.