Striking BP-Husky Toledo refinery workers ratify new contract

HOUSTON, June 3 (Reuters) - Striking union workers at a joint BP Plc and Husky Energy (Toronto: HSE.TO - news) refinery in Toledo, Ohio ratified a new contract on Wednesday and are due to return to work on Monday, four months after walking off their jobs, a refinery official said.

Negotiators for the United Steelworkers union (USW) Local 1-346 and the refinery's management agreed to a tentative contract on Saturday (Shenzhen: 002291.SZ - news) , three days after the strikers offered to return to their jobs while continuing bargaining.

During the work stoppage by 350 union members, temporary replacement workers have kept the 135,000 barrel per day (bpd) refinery in operation.

The Toledo refinery is one of 15 plants where workers walked off their jobs in February after talks between the USW International union and U.S. refinery owners for a new national agreement broke down.

Workers at most of the other plants returned to their jobs after a national agreement was reached in March. Strikes at a few locations continued due to disagreements over local issues.

"Our return to work agreement ensures the safe and orderly transition of the hourly workforce back into the refinery," said Jeff Steigauf, the refinery's personnel manager. "This process will take several weeks, and it is our desire to return to normal operations by the end of June."

A USW spokesman said she had no information about the vote on Wednesday night.

Details of the contract were not disclosed by refinery management.

Workers remain on strike at only one refinery, Marathon Petroleum Corp's Galveston Bay plant in Texas City, Texas.

(Reporting by Erwin Seba; Editing by Richard Pullin)