US EditionLocked Out BP Workers Picket Outside Indiana Refinery Amid Labor Contract Dispute
The lockout follows stalled talks over job cuts, pay reductions, and bargaining limits; BP will run the refinery with 450 employees and 100 contractors during the dispute.
- On Thursday, British Petroleum locked out more than 800 United Steelworkers at its Whiting Refinery in Indiana after contract negotiations stalled, with workers beginning to picket at midnight.
- Stalled talks stem from the company's demands to eliminate more than 100 jobs and reduce wages, leading United Steelworkers Local 7-1 president Eric Schultz to reject the company's "last, best and final" offer earlier this week.
- British Petroleum plans to maintain production using non-union staff described as "qualified and highly skilled," though worker Rob Wimberly expressed safety concerns, arguing replacement personnel lack deep facility knowledge.
- United Steelworkers members are prepared to picket 24/7 for months while most benefits remain suspended, yet British Petroleum maintains it does not expect disruptions to its 440,000 barrels-per-day production.
- The lockout will continue until the union accepts British Petroleum's Tuesday proposal, as the company insists the agreement is critical for long-term sustainability while union leaders argue the demands undermine workforce rights.
12 Articles
12 Articles
‘Last Offer Rejected’ — BP Refinery in Lake County Moves to Lock Out Union Workers
Photo: Adobe Stock. Negotiations between BP and the United Steelworkers Local 7-1 over a new contract for more than 800 union workers at the Whiting Refinery in Lake County have reached a critical point. The oil giant announced that it plans to initiate a lockout of union workers beginning Thursday morning, adding that negotiations will continue according to Inside INdiana Business. BP and union members have been at odds over a new contract sinc…
Chicago Sun Times
Usa newsBP locks out more than 800 union workers at Whiting refinery after contract negotiations fail
Energy giant BP locked out more than 800 union workers on Thursday at its refinery in Whiting, Indiana — the largest inland refinery in the U.S.The lockout comes after BP and the workers' union, United Steelworkers Local 7-1, failed to reach a contract agreement on Tuesday. “We presented British Petroleum with an offer [Tuesday] that included accepting several of their proposals — only for them to reject that after just four hours and serve us w…
Locked-out workers picket outside BP Whiting Refinery, feel 'they've been kicked to the curb'
"Those workers are dealing with a tremendous amount of stress and a tremendous amount of uncertainty, and a feeling of being kicked to the curb when they've dedicated their careers out here," United Steelworkers Local 7-1 President Eric Schultz said.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 75% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
