WHITING, Ind. — Two groups of workers, both members of the United Steelworkers union, have been fighting boss lockouts in Indiana — refinery workers at British Petroleum here and utility workers at the Northern Indiana Public Services Company. They continue to win support from unions, community groups and churches.
The 800 locked-out BP workers are fighting boss demands for cuts in both jobs and wages. They were locked out March 19 after voting to reject BP’s “last, best and final” concession offer.
“I was impressed by how well prepared they were,” Chicago hotel worker Gabby Arzabe told the Militant, after visiting the picket line along with co-worker Dean Hazlewood April 12. “You can tell that this is serious. These big corporations keep attacking workers’ rights. It has to stop.”
There are two USW locals at NIPSCO, Local 12775, representing the 800 field workers, and Local 13796, 80% to 90% women, representing clerical workers. Just like the BP workers, they were locked out after rejecting increasingly worse contract offers.
After another offer was made, Local 12775 members on April 24 voted to accept it. Local President Ryan Baker told the Militant they’re all back at work. Details of the contract aren’t yet publicly available.
Members of Local 13796 voted to reject the offer, and were locked out again. They have now received a new tentative agreement and have again been forced to take down their pickets while they consider it. A membership vote is set for May 1.
You can send messages of solidarity to NIPSCO Local 12775 at 216 Lincoln St. in Porter, or call (219) 929-1068.
To visit the BP picket line, go to Local 7-1 union hall at 2045 Schrage Ave. in Whiting.