Benicia CA, Just transition, Refinery workers, Valero Benicia Refinery

Our hearts go out to Valero employees…

How they found out about the closure

By Benicia Independent, April 27, 2025

The stacks from the Valero Benicia Refinery are seen as a pedestrian walks in a nearby neighborhood, in Benicia, Calif. (Capitol Public Radio) | Rich Pedroncelli / AP Photo

Almost everyone in Benicia has a friend, neighbor or a loved one who works at the Valero Refinery.

For the most part, Valero workers are regular folks, people with jobs of all kinds, people whose jobs have felt secure, now suddenly undercut. Our friends and neighbors have stories to tell about the closure. There are some who were planning to retire with extended benefits soon. Others who won’t have that option. Many are wondering where they will land after the refinery closes.

A friend of mine talked to a neighbor who is a good friend and a longtime refinery employee. He said they were notified by email the morning the news came out, Wednesday, April 16th, but he didn’t check his email, and was shocked to find out in a morning meeting at the start of his shift.

At the morning meeting, they were told the pending changes had a number of causes:

    • stricter state of California regulations
    • reduction in profits due to pending tariffs on oil from Canada that they use for refining
    • the barrel price of their refined product has fallen, which affects profitability
    • and the overall reduction of potential profits due to the increasing trend of fuel efficient and electric car sales.

…all signs of the times.

He wondered about the possibility of Valero restructuring, but doubted it was possible. Anyway, that wasn’t discussed at their meeting.

He said Valero almost had a buyer, but the buyer backed out because of what was seen as a lack of profitability – the same factors causing Valero to decide to close the operation.

He said that recent changes in Valero leadership felt like a signal that something big was about to happen. And speaking of signals – he’s heard that a Valero boss bought a hybrid car. But he’s worked at the refinery for more than two decades, and so this announcement came as a big surprise.

Although he will survive with a generous retirement package, he’s really concerned about younger workers. No one he knows was given any “heads up” about this decision. It came down like a thunder bolt on Wednesday, April 16th, the same day that the public learned about it.

Our hearts go out to the workers. One can hope that Valero and the City of Benicia will cooperate in planning a “just transition” – with care and compassion for employees and a deep stewardship for the land in Benicia’s Industrial Park.

MORE ABOUT VALERO CLOSURE… (here on the BenIndy)