Union urges investors to pressure BP to end US Midwest refinery lockout
A coalition led by the United Steelworkers is urging BP investors to intervene in the company's ongoing lockout of approximately 800 workers at its Whiting refinery in Indiana. The union argues that BP's labor dispute has raised safety concerns and disrupted good-faith collective bargaining, while the company maintains that its actions are necessary during contract negotiations. By appealing directly to shareholders, the coalition hopes to increase pressure on BP to reach a fair agreement with employees. The dispute illustrates how unions are increasingly using investor activism alongside traditional bargaining strategies to influence employer behavior.
See "Union urges investors to pressure BP to end US Midwest refinery lockout", Nicole Jao, Reuters, July 22, 2026