BP and the United Steelworkers announced on Wednesday that they will resume talks on Monday to try to reach a new labor contract covering workers at the Whiting, Indiana, oil refinery.
In a company statement, BP said it welcomed the chance to return to the negotiating table and described the objectives it hopes negotiations will achieve. "We look forward to returning to the negotiating table to work toward an agreement that preserves strong jobs by improving refinery performance, strengthening safety, and keeping the site competitive in a range of economic conditions over the long term. We have negotiated in good faith from the start and will keep doing so," the company said.
The labor dispute centers on the 440,000-barrel-per-day Whiting refinery, which the parties described as the largest refinery in the U.S. Midwest. Approximately 800 workers have been locked out since March 19, following several months of bargaining that did not produce a new contract.
"We’re pleased British Petroleum responded to our request to resume negotiating," said Eric Schultz, president of United Steelworkers Local 7-1. "We will again ask them to lift their lockout and to move away from their demands to cut more than 100 local jobs, make sweeping pay cuts and that we give up our bargaining and seniority rights."
The announcement does not include details on the specific agenda for Monday’s session, timelines for further meetings, or any immediate changes to the status of the lockout beyond the resumption of bargaining. Both parties framed the development as a return to negotiations following a period in which talks stalled and the lockout has remained in effect.
The situation at Whiting has involved months of talks that earlier failed to produce an agreement. The lockout, which began on March 19, remains in place for roughly 800 employees at the site. The company statement and the union leader’s remarks reflect the core issues at stake in the talks: job preservation, pay and benefits, bargaining and seniority rights, and operational and safety considerations for the refinery.
As of Wednesday’s statements, no new contract had been announced and no immediate resolution was reported. The upcoming meeting on Monday will mark the next formal opportunity for the parties to bridge their differences and determine whether an agreement can be reached that addresses the concerns raised by both BP and the United Steelworkers.