Ahead of its May 18 return to negotiations, BP posted multiple letters to the union on its website Wednesday afternoon.
“This (May 18) meeting follows multiple attempts by BP to return to the bargaining table, including requests made on April 1 and April 10, as we continue working toward an agreement that supports the long-term future of the Whiting refinery, our workforce, and the community,” the company’s website said.
BP announced Wednesday that the company would return to negotiations after its union employees have been locked out for about two months. The company posted the letters online less than 12 hours after announcing the scheduled return to negotiations.
“Our members have been illegally locked out of their jobs for almost two months, so we’re pleased British Petroleum responded to our request to resume negotiating,” a previous union statement said. “We will again ask them to lift their lockout and to move away from their demands to cut more than 100 local jobs, make sweeping pay cuts and that we give up our bargaining and seniority rights.”
More than 800 USW workers have been locked out of the refinery since March 18, and the two parties haven’t met since March 17. Both the union and company have made conflicting statements since then, saying the other has refused to meet.
BP posted letters from April 1 and April 10 on their website on Wednesday, addressed to USW Local 7-1 President Eric Schultz and USW District 7 and Sub 5 Director Robert Lofton.
“On March 17th, BP provided its latest comprehensive settlement offer to the union and, to date, has received no response to that offer or any further request to bargain,” the April 1 letter said.
In an April statement, the union said the company ignored its March 18 letter and several requests by phone, asking to lift the lockout and allow members to return to work while negotiations continue.
“The company did not respond until April 1 but has made clear — they will not lift their lockout or resume negotiating unless we accept their demands to eliminate more than 100 local jobs, cut wages across nearly all job classifications and give up our bargaining rights,” said the previous statement, which was re-sent by a union spokesperson Thursday. “That’s not bargaining in good faith.”
In its April 10 letter, BP said the union has “not provided substantive feedback” on its March 17 proposal. The April 10 letter said the union’s communication regarding the offer characterized it “in general terms but not addressed the substance of the proposal or advanced counterproposals for consideration.”
The company told the union in its April 1 letter that it wants to ensure “there remains an open line of communication between the parties.” Thomas Hanson, manager of labor and employee relations at the Whiting refinery, said in the letter that he received no request to continue bargaining through text, email or phone call.
“… please let me know who you tried to contact, how you tried to contact them, and when you tried contacting them,” Hanson said in the April 1 letter. “To the best of BP’s knowledge, nobody else on our bargaining committee has received a request to bargain since March 17th, so we would appreciate your feedback on this point as it will help tie up any loose ends within our communications, if any exist.”
More Top Picks Best Handwriting Tools For Kids With Dysgraphia
In the April 10 letter, Hanson said Schultz emailed the company on April 8.
The April 1 letter also said the company was “proactively inquiring” with Calumet College of St. Joseph to use Room 200 on its campus for bargaining during the week of April 13. The April 10 letter said the company reserved availability for the bargaining committee during the week of April 20.