Inside BP refinery's 5-month labor lockout

First publishedAug 6, 13:00 UTC

Last updatedAug 6, 14:32 UTC · 7m ago

113:00–13:03 UTC1 outletChicago Sun-Times

13:0013:2313:4614:0914:32

Chicago Sun-Times6Inside BP refinery's 5-month labor lockoutAug 6, 13:00 UTCOpen ↗

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<h3>Good morning, Chicago. ✶</h3><p>🔎 <b>Below</b>: BP&nbsp;has locked out about 800 refinery workers in Whiting, Indiana, without pay for 140 days. We look into where things stand.</p><p>🗞️ <b>Plus</b>: Chicago State brings Division I football back to the city, the legacy of neighborhood block clubs and more news you need to know.</p><p>📝&nbsp;<b>Keeping score</b>:&nbsp;<a class="Link" href="https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-wuuduht-l-y/" target="_blank" >The Cubs beat the Dodgers</a>, 7-6;&nbsp;<a class="Link" href="https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-wuuduht-l-j/" target="_blank" >the White Sox fell to the Red Sox</a>, 4-0;&nbsp;<a class="Link" href="https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-wuuduht-l-t/" target="_blank" >the Sky bested the Sparks</a>, 95-88.</p><p>📧 <b>Subscribe</b>: <a class="Link" href="https://newsletter-hub.suntimes.com/" target="_blank" ><i>Get our morning newsletter delivered to your inbox weekday mornings.</i></a></p><p>⏱️:&nbsp;<i>An 8-minute read</i></p><hr><p></p><h4>TODAY’S WEATHER ☁️</h4><p>Mostly cloudy with a chance of thunderstorms and a high near 78.</p><hr><p></p><h4>CHICAGO JIGSAW PUZZLE 🧩</h4><div class="Enhancement" data-align-floatLeft> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-430000" name="image-430000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" data-srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/b9c324e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/480x269+0+24/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fbd%2Fdd%2Fcc9192a1424181511e702053740c%2Fst14001621-0069-990000079e028a3c.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/e49eba0/2147483647/strip/true/crop/480x269+0+24/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fbd%2Fdd%2Fcc9192a1424181511e702053740c%2Fst14001621-0069-990000079e028a3c.jpg 2x" data-lazy-load="true" srcset="data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIyNzVweCIgd2lkdGg9IjQ5MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=" /> <source width="490" height="275" data-srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/b98bc1b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/480x269+0+24/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fbd%2Fdd%2Fcc9192a1424181511e702053740c%2Fst14001621-0069-990000079e028a3c.jpg" data-lazy-load="true" srcset="data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIyNzVweCIgd2lkdGg9IjQ5MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=" /> <img class="Image" alt="st14001621_0069-990000079e028a3c.jpg" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/b98bc1b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/480x269+0+24/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fbd%2Fdd%2Fcc9192a1424181511e702053740c%2Fst14001621-0069-990000079e028a3c.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/d457660/2147483647/strip/true/crop/480x269+0+24/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fbd%2Fdd%2Fcc9192a1424181511e702053740c%2Fst14001621-0069-990000079e028a3c.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" data-src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/b98bc1b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/480x269+0+24/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fbd%2Fdd%2Fcc9192a1424181511e702053740c%2Fst14001621-0069-990000079e028a3c.jpg" data-lazy-load="true" src="data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIyNzVweCIgd2lkdGg9IjQ5MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=" > </picture> </figure> </div> </div><p>Piece together history&nbsp;to reveal more about today’s photo from the Sun-Times archives.&nbsp;<br><a class="Link" href="https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-wuuduht-l-d/" target="_blank" ><b>PLAY NOW</b></a></p><hr><p></p><h4>TODAY’S TOP STORY 🔎</h4><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-9a0000" name="image-9a0000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" data-srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/aa875d6/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6867x3854+0+363/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fe3%2Fb9%2F38a251394a79abc3dc6ef3ff4f26%2Fwhitinglockout-260714-021.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2e6f3c5/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6867x3854+0+363/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fe3%2Fb9%2F38a251394a79abc3dc6ef3ff4f26%2Fwhitinglockout-260714-021.jpg 2x" data-lazy-load="true" srcset="data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIyNzVweCIgd2lkdGg9IjQ5MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=" /> <source width="490" height="275" data-srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/aa636d8/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6867x3854+0+363/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fe3%2Fb9%2F38a251394a79abc3dc6ef3ff4f26%2Fwhitinglockout-260714-021.jpg" data-lazy-load="true" srcset="data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIyNzVweCIgd2lkdGg9IjQ5MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=" /> <img class="Image" alt="United Steelworkers Local 7-1 members picket outside the British Petroleum oil refinery in Whiting, Indiana in July 2026." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/aa636d8/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6867x3854+0+363/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fe3%2Fb9%2F38a251394a79abc3dc6ef3ff4f26%2Fwhitinglockout-260714-021.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/8aab0b8/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6867x3854+0+363/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fe3%2Fb9%2F38a251394a79abc3dc6ef3ff4f26%2Fwhitinglockout-260714-021.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" data-src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/aa636d8/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6867x3854+0+363/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fe3%2Fb9%2F38a251394a79abc3dc6ef3ff4f26%2Fwhitinglockout-260714-021.jpg" data-lazy-load="true" src="data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIyNzVweCIgd2lkdGg9IjQ5MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>United Steelworkers Local 7-1 members picket outside the BP oil refinery in Whiting, Indiana, last month.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Candace Dane Chambers/Sun-Times</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p></p><h3><a class="Link" href="https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-wuuduht-l-u/" target="_blank" >Inside the nearly 5-month labor lockout at BP’s Whiting refinery</a></h3><p></p><h5>Reporting by <a class="Link" href="https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-wuuduht-l-o/" target="_blank" >Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco</a></h5><p><b>Labor strif</b>e:&nbsp;For the last four months, about 800 workers represented by United Steelworkers Local 7-1 have been locked out of BP's sprawling plant in Whiting, Indiana, without pay and with no clear indication of when they'll return to work.&nbsp;During a lockout, management can prevent workers from returning to their jobs to withhold wages.</p><p><b>New playbook?</b>: Lockouts are generally seen as a hardline tactic during labor disputes and tend to be rare, especially in the refining business, which requires continuous production and a highly skilled workforce. Longtime refinery workers worry Big Oil is experimenting with a new playbook to break union power, undermine national collective bargaining, and remake its workforce.</p><p><b>At issue</b>: This year,&nbsp;98% of USW Local 7-1 members voted to reject what the fossil fuel company called its last, best, and final offer.

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  Inside BP refinery's 5-month labor lockout

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  Chicago Sun-TimesAug 6, 13:00

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