The union representing hundreds of workers at BP’s Whiting refinery, the largest refinery in the Midwest, said on Friday the British oil major does not intend to honor the national oil bargaining agreement. This comes after the United Steelworkers union adopted a national agreement negotiated with Marathon Petroleum for use in contracts between 30,000 oil industry workers and their refineries and chemical plants.
The Steelworkers union represents about 800 workers at the Whiting refinery that produces key transportation fuels including gasoline, diesel fuel and jet fuel.
“BP maintains they have no plans to honor the National Oil Bargaining Program – the first time that has happened,” Eric Schultz, president of USW 7-1, said in an emailed statement.
“We’ve spent most of our negotiations discussing BP’s concessionary proposals that would eliminate local jobs, reduce pay across the board and strip us of bargaining rights,” Schultz said. “We will continue to negotiate in good faith.”
Local Steelworkers leadership asked workers at BP’s Whiting refinery to prepare for a strike or lockout on Thursday after weeks of negotiations with the British oil major that did not yield results.
The previous three-year collective bargaining agreement expired on January 31.
“Regardless of what was agreed upon at the national level between Marathon and the international USW, the Whiting Refinery is, in no way, obligated to follow the ‘pattern,'” a BP spokesperson said. “We will continue to bargain in the best interests of our employees, our company, and the community.”
(Reporting by Nicole Jao in New York, Editing by Franklin Paul)