Oil workers' contract gets 24-hour extensions

(CNN) - Royal Dutch Shell and the United Steelworkers union, which represents oil refinery workers, have agreed to rolling 24-hour contract extensions as negotiations continue on a labor agreement scheduled to expire Sunday.

Union spokeswoman Lynne Baker told CNN that the 24-hour extensions were set to begin at 12:01 am Sunday local time in each time zone. The extensions will automatically renew each day until an agreement is reached or the union terminates the contract, Baker said.

In the event of a contract termination, the union will give 24 hours notice before instituting a strike, which could put thousands of oil refinery workers on picket lines.

Baker said contract negotiations are scheduled to resume Sunday.