BP does not intend to honor the National Oil Bargaining Agreement, says union

The union representing hundreds of workers in BP's Whiting Refinery, the.largest refinery.in the Midwest, announced?on.Friday that the British oil giant does not intend honoring the national oil bargaining agreements. The United Steelworkers union has adopted a national oil bargaining agreement that was negotiated with Marathon Petroleum to be used in contracts between 30,000 workers of the oil industry and their refineries or chemical plants.

The Steelworkers Union represents about 800 workers in the Whiting refinery, which produces important transportation fuels such as?gasoline and diesel fuel.

Eric Schultz said that the president of USW 7-1 Eric Schultz stated in an email, "BP has no plans to honour the 'National Oil Bargaining Program' - this is the first time it has 'happened.

Schultz stated, "We spent the majority of our negotiation time discussing BP's proposals for concessions that would eliminate jobs locally, reduce wages across the board and strip bargaining rights from us." We will continue to negotiate in good faith.

After weeks of unsuccessful negotiations, the Local Steelworkers asked that workers at BP Whiting refinery prepare for a'strike or lockout' on Thursday.

The previous collective bargaining contract of three years expired on 31 January.

A BP spokesperson stated that "the Whiting Refinery was not obligated in any way to follow this 'pattern' regardless of what had been agreed at the national level between Marathon Oil and the International USW." "We will continue bargaining in the best interest of our employees and our company."

(source: Reuters)