BP and Marathon use lockouts in US labor disputes — OilPrice
Oil companies BP and Marathon are barring workers from their jobs at refineries in Whiting, Indiana, and Martinez, California, amid negotiations over new collective bargaining agreements. The facilities continue operating with contractors, managers, and replacement workers, OilPrice reports.
BP negotiations in Whiting
The lockout at BP's Whiting refinery has been ongoing since March 2026. The company is offering an average pay increase of 13%, or more than $7 per hour, over four years. BP also agreed that increases in the final two years of the agreement would match the level agreed during nationwide negotiations in the oil industry.
At the same time, the proposed increase for the first two years is below the standards of such nationwide negotiations. BP wants to transfer some non-core work to specialized third-party contractors that already work with the company. The company also proposed waiving bargaining rights on two issues: the use of artificial intelligence tools and technologies, and timekeeping systems.
Eric Schultz, president of United Steelworkers Local 7-1, told Reuters that BP is using the same strategy Exxon employed during the 2021 labor dispute. According to him, BP's chief negotiator in Whiting is Jordan Marks, a former Exxon official who managed the lockout at the Beaumont refinery.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Exxon's experience and refinery operations
In 2021, Exxon barred up to 650 workers from their jobs at its Beaumont refinery for 10 months. OilPrice calls the dispute the longest labor conflict at a US refinery in four decades.
Marks, who heads labor relations for BP in North America, contacted the union this week to request federal mediation. In a letter, he stated: “We are available and ready to meet. And we continue to believe that direct dialogue is a more productive path than public discussion.”
According to the publication, the nearly six-month standoff in Whiting demonstrates the willingness of major oil companies to keep refineries operating with replacement personnel during negotiations with unions. The outcome of the dispute may affect companies' approach to future labor agreements and conflicts.
