Whiting, IN – On Saturday April 11, members of Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) and Jobs with Justice Chicago (JwJ Chicago) traveled to Whiting, Indiana to stand in solidarity with the over 800 United Steelworkers (USW) Local 7-1 members who have been facing an illegal lockout by British Petroleum (BP) since March 19.

USW members warmly welcomed the supporters and were anxious to share their story about a fight with one of the most powerful corporations in the world. Despite the vast wealth of the bosses at BP, the locked-out USW members are confident that worker solidarity will prevail in the end.

BP and USW Local 7-1 have been bargaining over a new contract since January 2026. On March 2, BP came to the table with an offer that USW says showed they were not negotiating in good faith with the union. BP’s offer would expand managerial rights significantly, reduce hourly wages, replace seniority-based promotions with promotions only granted after training given by management, and eliminate other bargaining unit rights. The contract proposal from BP would also eliminate around 100 jobs.

BP’s offer was rejected by the USW members through a 98% no vote on March 12. On March 13, BP came back to the table with a revised offer that the USW members say was worse than the March 2 offer. This new offer was also rejected by the union’s negotiating committee on March 17.

On March 19, the BP responded by illegally locking out the USW members. Since the lockout began, BP management has since been making statements to the public about the negotiations and lockout that USW members say have been misleading, and has refused to return to the table and negotiate in good faith.

USW District 7 Director Mike Milsap said, “In its drive to lower staffing levels and implement wage cuts, BP is choosing confrontation and gambling the community safety on inexperienced replacement workers. The lockout is a direct attack on workers’ rights and an attempt to weaken the bargaining power of the very people who can make this facility successful. We are standing united and will not back down from securing a fair agreement.”

BP has brought in hundreds of out-of-state scabs who lack the training and experience of the USW members who regularly run the refinery, posing a risk to public safety for the community of Whiting.

What stood out as the largest concern in BP’s unreasonable offer was the expansion of managerial rights. This would increase BP’s ability to undermine the contract if it was ratified and would defeat the purpose of that contract entirely. USW members say that if they signed that contract they would become a union only on paper with no real rights inside the massive BP oil refinery.

USW Local 7-1 members are preparing for a long fight ahead. In 2021-2022, USW Local 13-243 in Beaumont, Texas faced a ten-month lockout and a campaign by ExxonMobil management to try to push employees to decertify the union. Management from the Exxon refinery in Beaumont have been brought into the BP Whiting refinery during the current clash.

Despite BP’s history of attacks on unions, USW International President Roxanne Brown was defiant and said, “Generations of union members have kept this refinery running safely and efficiently, and they deserve a contract that reflects their value – not intimidation tactics designed to force concessions.”

USW is accepting donations at United Steelworkers Local 7-1, Inc., Strike and Defense Fund, 2045 Schrage Ave, Whiting, IN 46394

#WhitingIN #IN #Labor #Lockout #USW #USW71 #Featured

St. Paul Park, MN – Teamsters Local 120 members at Marathon Refinery in Saint Paul Park have been locked out by Marathon management for more than ten days, after a 24-hour strike by the workers.

Teamsters agreed to end their strike after 24 hours as a new round of bargaining was scheduled for January 25. However, when the Teamsters attempted to return to work, they were instead locked out by the employer and not allowed to return. That Monday, no deal was reached and there are no more dates scheduled to resume bargaining.

Many unions and union members have marched on the picket lines in solidarity alongside the Teamsters throughout this strike-turned-lockout. This week, on Thursday, February 4, at 6 p.m. Teamsters 120 is holding a rally on the picket line and many unions plan to attend. You can join the rally at the intersection of 2nd Street and Broadway in Saint Paul Park.

Much of the reason the Teamsters were striking revolved around safety at the refinery. The Saint Paul Park refinery utilizes hydrofluoric acid, the same chemical which caused the evacuation of Superior, Wisconsin after the explosion at the Husky refinery in 2018. According to the union, they offered the unconditional return specifically to minimize the risk of accident with the toxic chemical.

When asked why he was out on the picket line, a 17-year refinery worker said, “The company wants to outsource our jobs to lower paid, less trained workers. This is a safety deal. The company is trying to make us do more than is safe.”

Teamsters Local 120 President Tom Erickson said, “I have been involved in union negotiations for over 30 years. I have never seen a company do something as reckless as what Marathon did tonight. Their decision could have major consequences to people’s lives. For the sake of everyone I pray they get lucky and it doesn’t.”

At this point with no further bargaining scheduled. It is unclear when there will be an end in sight to this lockout.

#SaintPaulParkMN #PeoplesStruggles #strike #Lockout #Strikes #Marathon

Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada – An epic fight of refinery workers has unfolded in the city of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada at a unionized refinery. Workers who are members of Unifor Local 594 were locked out December 5, 2019 by a boss that just wants more. The company, Federated Co-operatives Limited (FCL), has hired hundreds of scabs and flies them in via helicopter.

Ten weeks into the lockout, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police has stepped in as corporate enforcers, violating a judge’s order. They dismantled Unifor picket lines and even took away the port-a-potties. This struggle is important for the North American labor movement, as this workforce challenges the billionaire class.

In November, as the contract neared expiration, 725 of 730 refinery workers voted to take job action. Their employer CRC, the crown jewel in a host of businesses throughout the FCL co-op chain, took a take-it-or-leave-it stance in bargaining. The co-op is a combination of producers and consumer businesses that rose from a movement of progressive farmers in the 1930s. Many consumer owners of the co-op have been rudely awakened by the rogue behavior of the corporate lackeys now running the co-op board.

“Members saw the writing on the wall in this round of bargaining and had been preparing for this fight. Management had taken the position ‘agree to everything that is on the table or we are done here,’ which we saw as a wake-up call,” said Carla McCrie, recording secretary of Unifor Local 594 and a 15-year employee at the plant.

“This greedy management team has hijacked negotiations for their profit, not our benefit, with managements demands in bargaining going far beyond the pension issue. They intend cutting union jobs. This, combined with their proposed take-back in the savings plan and other work rules, are things we just cannot allow without a fight,” she added. “We have made this company very profitable through our hard work, and they are turning their backs on the promises made to us. We will not give in, this is our livelihood.”

Carla McCrie and the rest of the local’s leadership have taken up tasks to keep the picket lines strong since day one.

Local 594 has been active with the workforce on this property since the 1930s and the workforce has not been in a dispute like this before, according to local leaders. The co-op began the current fight with its workforce some three years ago when they insisted on taking away a defined benefit pension. The compromise in 2016 meant existing employees would keep the defined benefit pension and new hires would be offered the defined contribution pension. In 2016, the employer brought scab housing to the complex. Seeing it set up before this latest round of bargaining was not lost on the workforce. McCrie said, “We knew they were coming for us this time.”

The media has cast the story as ‘well-paid workers who don’t want a change.’ Right-wing radio and media appear to be lined up on the side of the employer. On the picket lines, you get a different story.

Workers will tell you that the cuts offered to the defined benefits pension and the defined contribution pension are coupled with management’s demand to do away with a savings plan that the co-op contributes to. They also point out an astronomical growth in managers.

“The company wants to remove everyone from the DB plan now, for us to give up what we have worked for. We cannot do that,” said one worker, speaking of the defined benefits pension. Co-op management is dug in at the bargaining table, seeking to equalize with union employees that which they unilaterally took away from supervisor last summer, the employer contribution to savings plan. Supervisors secretly tell picketers on the line that they are hoping that the union can keep the savings plan, in hopes that theirs may be restored.

“Three years ago, in process control, there might be one manager, now there is one for every two workers. They get in the way, contradict one another and really slow production,” said McCrie. Since2016, the company has hired many more managers, who shadow workers on the line. Many of these front-line managers are being pushed to the breaking point, working 12 days on with two days off, working side-by-side with scabs.

This new hiring of frontline supervisors was justified over the past three years to the workforce as “protection in case there was a terrorist attack.” Supposedly, management would run the plant. Many on the picket lines expressed an understanding that hiring such a large number of managers clearly revealed the bosses’ intentions in bargaining.

Current situation

Since Unifor national took over the picket lines and barricaded the plant entrances, workers’ spirits have lifted. Hundreds of Unifor members from throughout Canada heeded the nationals call to come to Regina and walk the picket lines. Members came from Vancouver to Newfoundland.

As the costs have skyrocketed for the company and the product was cut off in Alberta’s Carseland fuel depot, news reports of fuel shortages have popped up throughout western Canada. The lucrative oil and gas industry at the co-op has witnessed record-breaking profits: $1.1 billion in 2018 and on track for $985 million in 2019. The workers of Unifor Local 594 know who generates their profits and will continue the fight one day longer than this greedy employer to ensure they can get a piece of that which the produce.

The local is asking for labor activists to like them on social media, learn about their fight and share the stories with your networks. Please write www.boycottco-op.ca and express your solidarity.

#ReginaSaskatchewanCanada #Regina #International #Americas #PeoplesStruggles #Lockout #Strikes #UniforLocal594 #FederatedCooperativesLimitedFCL

Cincinnati, Ohio – 450 union workers found themselves out of work at NuTone in Cincinnati, on Sunday, July 17. The manufacturer, NuTone, paid to have letters delivered to United Auto Workers Local 2029 members’ homes announcing the lockout. Workers set up picket lines at three plant gates and held cardboard signs saying, “NuTone locked us OUT!”

Two union workers, Linda Cresie and Judson Barnett, stood vigil at the main gate and expressed worry that their jobs are gone. Ms. Cresie spoke, saying, “This was a big surprise. We have been working under the old contract since June 8 and we are given no reason by NuTone. There are a lot of single parents working here who need these jobs.” Both Cresie and Barnet set up punch press machines and are veteran workers, Cresie for 16 years. Mr. Barnett declared, “I’m afraid I need a good severance package and a new job.”

The workers at NuTone produced parts in Cincinnati that were shipped for assembly to Canada. The central vacuum, door chimes and ventilation fan producer, bought in 1998 by its main competitor Nortek and renamed Broan-NuTone, continued to generate big profits for the owners.

A husband and wife picketing the side gate said, “People depend on this paycheck and the job situation is bad in Cincinnati. The company wants to take away seniority and create a red mark system that disciplines the workers for life. Five marks, for being late or other problems and you are fired. There is no getting out from under it. This is really leaving us hanging!”

When asked what the union is doing, picketers say the UAW Local 2029 leadership is trying to contact NuTone’s lawyers, but the company claims the lawyers are out of the country on vacation. At the same time, NuTone is telling the media that they are hoping to meet with the UAW leaders.

The local union leaders posted pickets immediately. Small groups of workers take shifts standing at the gates in 90-plus degree heat every day. However, a rank-and-file union member frustrated with the situation said, “We have paid our dues to the UAW for years and years, yet we are out here with cardboard signs and markers? This is day four of the lockout. You think the UAW leadership could find a UAW sign for us to hold up and be proud of!”

The local UAW leaders have relief crews bringing water, food and news from the union office to lift the spirits of the locked-out members. The workers sense the situation is serious and are in the mood for action, willing to consider a march and rally, or if necessary, blocking scab replacement workers from taking their jobs. UAW Local 2029 is in a difficult situation, but the union members want to organize and fight back against the lockout.

#CincinnatiOH #News #AutoUnitedAutoWorkers #UnitedAutoWorkersLocal2029 #Lockout

As reported by Fight Back News Service on March 20, workers in the Patient Access department at UIC were locked out of their workplace for wearing t-shirts that opposed a recent decision to nearly double their workloads.

On Tuesday, March 24, an email was sent to the employees in the department informing them that they would be paid for the time they were locked out.

SEIU Local 73 will still go forward with plans to file an Unfair Labor Practice charge against the employer for denying the workers’ right to wear their union t-shirts.

Here is a video of workers and the UIC-ABC (United In Campaign Against Budget Cuts) picketing outside the department on March 20.

#UIC #ChicagoIL #News #SEIULocal73 #BudgetCrisis #Lockout #speedup