Union workers at the Ashland Specialty Chemicals facility in Texas City are on strike, after they said the company tried to slash benefits in its proposed contract.

Bobby Oneal has worked at the Ashland Specialty Chemicals facility in Texas City for nearly three decades, loading and unloading rail cars and tank trucks for the manufacturing plant.

In that time, he's accumulated 13 weeks of paid sick leave. However, he could see that sick time reduced to 48 hours under a new contract presented to union members by Ashland. Under the proposed contract, workers who need to take short-term disability leave would receive an additional 48 hours, for a total of 96.

Oneal said he's seen coworkers diagnosed with cancer, and worries the new proposed sick leave won't be enough for employees dealing with more serious illnesses.

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"That's not enough time because there's going to be gaps where you won't be paid if you're dealing with cancer," he said.

Union members and negotiators said the company is slashing sick leave for senior employees, using outside contractors in order to replace union workers and forcing its employees to perform work outside of their trades.

"They want everyone to do incidental work, which we think is dangerous," Crawford said. "An operator shouldn’t be doing machinist work. A machinist shouldn’t be doing operator work or pipefitter work."

Oneal is one of 70 union workers currently on strike at the facility, after they voted this month to reject two different contract proposals from Ashland — a manufacturing facility in Texas City that makes pharmaceutical products, and other items like hair gel, according to Oneal.

The Texas City Metal Trades Council, AFL-CIO is representing facility workers from four different unions as they negotiate with Ashland. Union members said they plan to be on strike until the company negotiates a good faith contract.

"We just want to get back to the table and fix all this," said Lewis Crawford, a lead negotiator for the Texas City Metal Trades Council.

In a statement, Ashland spokesperson Carolmarie C. Brown said the company is "dedicated to the safety, health, and security of our employees, their families, and the communities where we work and live." The company declined to comment on the status of contract negotiations.

The unions have filed two charges with the National Labor Relations Board against Ashland, alleging the company committed unfair labor practices during negotiations.

Shaun Platt has worked at the Texas City facility for 12 years as a process operator. Speaking with Houston Public Media at the picket line Monday, he said the union workers are striking to preserve benefits they've had for years.

"We're not really asking for much — just a fair contract," he said.

David Hurtado, a chemical operator who's worked for the company for 19 years, echoed those sentiments.

"We really want to go back to work," he said. "But we want it to be fair for all sides."