To: All Whiting Employees
The purpose of this Employee Information Bulletin (EIB) is to provide a status update on negotiations and on the 24-hour rolling contract extensions that the Company and the Union agreed to last night.
As you know, the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the Company and the Union was set to expire at 11:59 p.m. yesterday. The Company proposed a 14-day extension yesterday evening – reduced from the 28-day extension proposal that the Union rejected the prior day. This would have resulted in the current CBA expiring at 11:59 p.m. on February 14, allowing the parties more time to continue meaningful discussions. A longer extension would have helped alleviate the anxiety and stress on the whole workforce that comes from having a 24-hour notice period and the possibility of a strike or lock-out. The union once again rejected a longer-term contract extension.
However, late last night, the Company and Union agreed to a rolling 24-hour contract extension. This means that the current collective bargaining agreement automatically renews every 24 hours unless either party cancels the extension.
In terms of the status of negotiations, yesterday the Company and Union made several counter-proposals and constructive progress was made on several topics. Bargaining continues today in the hopes of reaching a fair and equitable agreement.