Negotiations Update #8 from Chris DellaFranco – March 20, 2026
The bp Whiting refinery continues to operate safely during the lockout
Key Takeaways:
- As of Thursday, March 19th, we have safely transitioned refinery operations to highly skilled bp employees who have completed more than 80,000 hours of training over the past year.
- We do not expect any impact on operations or production during the lockout. Our replacement workforce is operating the refinery safely, reliably, and in compliance.
- We continue to provide benefits, including medical coverage, to represented employees while negotiations with the USW continue.
- Safety remains our top priority, and we are focused on protecting our workforce, neighbors, environment, and community while respecting employees' rights to demonstrate safely and legally.
- We continue to stand behind the March 17 proposal, which maintains competitive regional pay while supporting the refinery's long-term sustainability.
"The refinery is operating safely, production continues, and we remain focused on protecting people, the environment, and our community."
Chris DellaFranco, bp Whiting refinery manager
Transcription
Hello again, Chris DellaFranco here, the bp Whiting refinery Manager. I would like to share an update on the lockout that we initiated on March 18th.
This lockout was not a decision we took lightly, and we are disappointed it has reached this stage. Despite our best efforts over months of discussions, the union has not meaningfully negotiated on proposals critical to the long-term sustainability of the business. At the same time, since February 1st, our refinery has been operating in a continued state of labor uncertainty, including the threat of a strike with only 24 hours’ notice. This lockout was necessary to allow a safe and orderly transfer of operations while negotiations continue.
As a reminder, we have decided to continue providing benefits, including medical coverage, for the employees who are locked-out.
During this video, I will cover three important topics.
First, the topic that is most important to all of us – safety. The safety of our workforce, our neighbors, and our operations is essential to every decision we make.
As of Thursday, March 19th, we have safely transitioned operations of the refinery to our highly skilled and trained bp employees, many of whom are former front-line employees, who help us run the refinery safely, reliability, and meet all of our compliance obligations. They completed over 80,000 hours of training over the course of the past year. During this time, we do not expect an impact to our operations or production.
Next, to our neighbors, I want to acknowledge that you may see increased activity around our facilities, including demonstrations. We respect our represented employees’ right to gather in a safe and legally compliant way. We know this may increase concern, but rest assured our focus is on keeping our people and the community safe.
Lastly, you may see misinformation or speculation about our operations. The facts are these: the refinery is operating safely, production continues, and we remain focused on protecting people, the environment, and our community. We will continue to provide clear, factual updates as we move forward.
Before I close, I want to remind everyone what we’re working towards. We are committed to being a safe, reliable, and compliant operator today and in the future. We also want this refinery to remain competitive in a range of market conditions for decades to come. To do that, we must change the way we work and continue making advancements in safety and competitiveness.
We will continue to negotiate in good faith with the USW, and I want to remind everyone the lockout can end if the last agreement provided on March 17th is ratified. We stand behind the March 17th offer that’s on the table. It is fair, the changes we are seeking are common in industry, and it ensures competitive pay within our region.
I recognize this is a time of high anxiety and stress for all our employees, their families, and members of the community, and I want to thank you for your time, patience, and understanding as we work through this process.
I will continue to keep you updated as things progress.