WHITING, Ind. (WGN) — More than 800 union workers were locked out of the BP refinery in Whiting, Indiana, at midnight Thursday morning after the company and the union could not reach a contract agreement following months of negotiations.
The workers union, United Steelworkers Local 7-1, declared a strike shortly after the lockout went into effect. Union members were out picketing early Thursday morning and say the lockout is unacceptable and that the labor dispute didn’t have to come to this.
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Signs supporting union workers at the BP refinery could be seen in windows all across Whiting leading up to the lockout.
“The company locked us out,” union member Paul Skalka said early Thursday morning. “We didn’t want it, but they gave it to us, anyway. We’re fighting not to lose our money…