Washington, DC - Today, Rep. Frank Mrvan (IN-01), alongside Congressional Labor Caucus Members, Roxanne Brown - International President of the United Steelworkers, and Eric Shultz - President of the USW Local 7-1, called on British Petroleum to end the lockout at the facility located in Whiting, Indiana.

A video of the press conference is available here.

Congressman Mrvan stated, "I thank my fellow members of the Congressional Labor Caucus and leaders of the United Steelworkers for joining me in calling for British Petroleum to end this lockout and return to good-faith negotiations. We must continue to do all we can to stand in solidarity with the members and families of Local 7-1 and put our skilled Northwest Indiana workers back on the job."

Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-06) stated, "I have spent my entire life fighting for working people. I know what it means when a family sits around the kitchen table wondering how they're going to make ends meet. That's what this lockout is doing to families in Indiana right now, and we are not going to stand by quietly while that happens. I am proud to stand with the United Steelworkers Local 7-1. Every working woman and man in this country is better off because of what this union has done, and the workers in Whiting deserve better than what they are getting.

Congressman Donald Norcross (NJ-01) stated, "BP's profits were nearly $4 billion last quarter - a 453 percent increase compared to last year. Yet when it came time to pay workers a fair wage, suddenly BP has empty pockets. Its lockout of employees in Whitling is ridiculous at face value, flawed on the merits, and should stop immediately. It's beyond time for BP to meaningfully engage in contract negotiations with its workers and get a fair contract across the finish line."

Congressman Mark Pocan (WI-02) stated, "I stand in solidarity with the workers at BP's Whiting Refinery as they fight for their right to bargain with their employer. BP's aggressive tactics and illegal lockout disregard federal law and the dignity of the workforce. It's time for BP to end this lockout and get back to the bargaining table with USW and agree to a fair contract for all parties."

Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) stated, "I represent communities a lot like Whiting -- communities built by working people who ask for nothing more than a fair shot and a fair deal. So, when I learned that BP had locked USW Local 7-1 workers out of negotiations, I knew we couldn't stay silent. That's why I joined Congressman Mrvan in calling on BP to end this lockout, and why today, I was proud to stand alongside him and USW to send a clear message: Bring these workers back to the table, negotiate fairly, and deliver the agreement they have earned and deserve."

Congressman Jesus Chuy Garcia (IL-04) stated, "As a former Teamster member, raised in an immigrant, union home, I know the power that organized labor has to improve the lives of working families. What BP is doing in Indiana is trying to deny workers the power of a fair contract negotiated in good faith. They are trying to cut pay and decimate the workforce. The actions of this multi-billion dollar corporation are more than an attack on workers' rights - they are putting the community's safety at risk by bringing inexperienced replacement workers. BP must end this lockout immediately and return to serious negotiations."

Roxanne Brown, International President of the United Steelworkers stated, "When British Petroleum illegally locked out 800 hardworking USW members in March, it didn't just show its disregard for the skill and experience they bring to the table. It also showed its disdain for American consumers. British Petroleum's desire to cut jobs and strip workers of needed protections, its willingness to cause disruptions at a time when our energy supply lines are already under strain, is absolutely a public safety issue. It compromises our communities and threatens our national security. We thank the members of Congress who stood with us today and call on others to join us in telling British Petroleum to end the illegal lockout now."

Eric Schultz, President of USW Local 7-1 stated, "British Petroleum brags to their shareholders about the record profits they earned on the backs of our members - members whose families are now going without a paycheck because of the company's illegal lockout. When 98% of our members rejected British Petroleum's demand that we agree to eliminate more than 100 local jobs, cut the wages of hundreds of workers and for all of us to give up seniority and bargaining rights, they illegally locked us out of our jobs and have refused to budge on their demands. That's not good-faith bargaining. That's greed."

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