bp Whiting says USW left bargaining session as refinery lockout continues

bp said it returned to bargaining with United Steelworkers Local 7-1 at its Whiting, Indiana refinery on May 18, but said the union left the session without reaching an agreement.

Reuters also reported that the talks resumed that day and ended without a deal, leaving the lockout at the refinery in place as it entered its third month.

The Whiting refinery is bp’s largest refinery worldwide and a key fuel supplier for the Midwest. The dispute has centered on labor terms for nearly 1,000 locked-out workers, according to the union.

bp said it remained committed to staying at the bargaining table. The USW has said bp’s lockout was unfair and has called on the company to bargain in good faith.

It was not immediately clear whether the parties will schedule another session soon or whether the union will publicly contest bp’s account of how the May 18 meeting ended.