HAMMOND, Ind. — Hundreds of members of the United Steelworkers union, including oil refinery workers locked out by British Petroleum, and members of other unions in this area rallied outside of the main office of the Northern Indiana Public Service Company April 7. Bosses at the utility had locked out more than 1,600 members of USW Local 12775, which represents NIPSCO field workers, and Local 13796, representing clerical workers, April 2. They work from the Indiana border with Illinois to Ohio.
The bosses said the lockout will last “until the union accepts our final offer.”
This is the second sizable group of USW-organized workers locked out by the bosses in this heavily industrialized area of northern Indiana. BP bosses locked out members of USW Local 7-1 at its Whiting refinery March 19, and are refusing to negotiate. Pickets are organized at several plant gates there 24/7.
The two NIPSCO Steelworkers locals voted 98% to authorize a strike over the company’s so-called last, best, and final offer. It included small wage increases and a ratification bonus of $5,000. But the bonus drops to $2,500 if the company ultimatum isn’t accepted by April 11, and down to nothing if the lockout lasts through April 18.
Currently workers can be made to work 32 straight hours. The new contract maintains that provision, with a gradual reduction to 24 straight hours in 2027, and then to 16 by the end of the three-year contract.
The union issued a statement explaining that safety concerns and job security are the main issues. “The company’s actions come amid ongoing disputes over the increased use of outside contractors, a mandatory overtime acceptance rate, and potential limitations on work continuity during outages — all of which present serious safety concerns,” it says.
“This lockout is a reckless decision that puts profits ahead of the welfare of our communities,” Roxanne Brown, USW international president, said.
Ryan Baker, president of Local 12775, told the Militant, “A big issue is the forced overtime. We understand that sometimes we have to work overtime to handle emergencies. But we are also people with families and lives. This is only a small part of our life.”
Locked-out workers said they don’t want to be in a situation where they can be required to accept overtime that could result in working 16 hours a day. “You’re out there in the bucket trucks, in the wind, rain, snow, sun, it doesn’t matter,” Baker said. “We’re out there doing our jobs, doing it for the community.”
The union wants to bring NIPSCO back to the bargaining table, Baker told workers and their supporters at the rally. “This is a damn lockout. It’s not a strike,” he said. “We don’t want to be here. The company put us here. They told us we’re better served standing on the side of the road than out there doing our goddamned jobs.” He thanked everyone for coming, saying, “Let’s hold the line!”
NIPSCO claims it will keep working with “trained non-represented employees, qualified contractors, and support from our family of companies to maintain operations.”
But WNDU, a local radio station, is reporting, “The impacts of the lockout are hitting communities already. On Thursday night during a severe thunderstorm warning in Marshall County, fire crews responded to a report of a pole fire near Plymouth. The Marshall County Fire Department said it took about two hours for NIPSCO to arrive.”
To join a picket line and support the USW NIPSCO locals, visit Local 12775’s union hall at 216 Lincoln Street in Porter, or call (219) 929-1068. They will tell you where picket lines are set up and how to make a donation to the union defense fund.
Steven Minchuk, president of the Northern Indiana Area Labor Federation, told the Militant, “We’re doing everything we can to support the locked-out workers here and at BP. We’re bringing people and supplies to the picket lines, putting pressure on the companies to negotiate.”
“If you want to join the BP picket lines, come to the union hall first,” at 2045 Schrage Avenue in Whiting, USW Local 7-1 President Eric Schultz said. They send vans out every 15 minutes, dropping off and picking up union members and supporters. They have tents and burn barrels to warm them, as well as donated food and beverages