Locked-Out BP Refinery Workers Accuse Company of Trying to Starve Them and Crush Union
Over 800 workers at BP's Whiting, Indiana refinery have been locked out for 126 days since March 19, 2026, after contract negotiations failed. The United Steelworkers Local 7-1 says BP is demanding cuts to pay and jobs, a clause requiring 150 days' notice before a strike, and seeks to weaken the local's bargaining power. The union has filed 15 unfair labor practice charges with the NLRB, alleging bad-faith bargaining, threats, and surveillance. Workers report severe financial strain, with unemployment benefits under $400 a week and reliance on a union food pantry. One worker's house was destroyed by a tornado during the lockout. BP, which reported $189.2 billion in revenue in 2025, has brought in replacement workers. The union says the lockout is an attempt to starve them into submission and break the local.
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