Mrvan asks Commerce Secretary Lutnick to support end to BP lockout

U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan, D-Highland, asked U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick for help in ending the United Steelworkers Local 7-1 lockout at the BP Whiting refinery.

“British Petroleum, in my district, which is an energy producer and the third largest oil refinery, has locked out … approximately 1,000 families … because of contract negotiations,” Mrvan said during a Thursday House Appropriations Commerce, Science, Justice subcommittee budget hearing. “My Republican governor came to the picket line, and I agree with him in a bipartisan way that British Petroleum is putting our community at risk by having replacement workers who are not trained.”

Mrvan told Lutnick that he’s worried about environmental and safety risks in Hammond, East Chicago and Whiting. According to previous company updates, replacement workers include company employees, and the refinery doesn’t expect disruptions to operations or production.

“My community is at risk,” Mrvan said. “Will you join me and ask the president of the United States to tell British Petroleum — a foreign company and energy producer — to go back to the table?”

BP merged with Amoco in 1998 and changed its name from British Petroleum as most of its business is done in the U.S., according to the company’s website.

Lutnick told Mrvan that he wants to ensure that union workers are treated fairly, and he supports union workers.

“I have been very clear, I’m supportive of great union jobs in America,” Lutnick said. “I think they are excellent jobs for America. … Let’s go through it together, let’s come up with the right move to get this company to treat our union workers fairly.”

A BP spokesperson responded to Mrvan’s and Lutnick’s comments in a Monday statement, saying the company is ready to continue bargaining and has requested a meeting. The union has previously declined BP’s claims that the company has tried to resume negotiations.

“BP respects the role of U.S. leaders and shares their desire to resume negotiations between the BP Whiting refinery and the United Steelworkers Union Local 7-1,” the statement said. “We remain committed to bargaining in good faith with the union.”

The union was unable to immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.

On April 3, Mrvan sent a joint letter with U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski, D-Illinois, to BP CEO Meg O’Neill, also urging the company to end the lockout, which began March 19.

In their letter, the Congress members said the Whiting refinery is the largest in the Midwest, and plays “a central role” in providing gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel to the region. Constituents who live near the refinery expressed safety concerns about a prolonged lockout, according to the letter, saying that the refinery’s high-hazard chemical processes require experienced operators, maintenance technicians, and emergency response personnel.

BP previously said the parties last met on March 17, saying the “union has not responded to that offer or requested to meet” since that meeting. The company also claimed that a letter was sent to union leadership on April 1, asking about their plans to respond to the March 17 offer and resume negotiations. The union responded on April 8, according to BP, but allegedly didn’t address the proposals, agree to meet or offer dates to resume discussion.

The union declined BP’s claims, previously saying they sent a letter to the company on March 18. USW 7-1 President Eric Schultz and Robert Lofton, in a letter, expressed the intent to continue to negotiate, and they ask to lift the lockout and allow members to return to work, according to Post-Tribune archives. The union claims the company ignored the letter and several requests by phone “for two weeks.”

Negotiations updates from BP are available at whitingnegotiations.com. USW 7-1 also has a website, supportoilworkers.com, for updates on negotiations.