Refiners, Union Agree to Continue Contract Talks After Expiration of Previous Agreement — OPIS

Refiners led by Marathon Petroleum and more than 30,000 workers represented by the United Steelworkers Union have agreed to continue contract talks after the previous labor agreement expired over the weekend, the USW said.

Michael Smith, head of union's oil bargaining team, said negotiations with Marathon on a new national agreement will continue.

"Our unity and solidarity at every facility throughout the industry sends a clear message that we are prepared to fight for a fair contract," Smith said in a news release.

The last four-year agreement expired at midnight Saturday. Union members work in refining, production, pipelines, maintenance, storage and petrochemical facilities that account for about two-thirds of all U.S. refining capacity.

Collective bargaining agreements are negotiated at both the national and local levels. Representatives from each side meet to set industry standards for wage increases and local unions negotiate with employers over site-specific issues such as work schedules.

USW 7-1, the local that represents BP's 440,000 b/d Whiting, Ind., refinery on Sunday said it and BP agreed to a rolling contract extension, which would automatically extend current employment terms and conditions every 24 hours until either party cancels the extension to allow talks to continue.

Eric Shultz, president of the local union, said BP is "pushing to eliminate more than 100 union jobs, cut wages and strip away bargaining rights."

BP on Sunday said USW 7-1 rejected its offer to extend the last labor agreement for 14 days, which they said would have helped reduce anxiety and stress on workers over a possible strike or lockout.

BP also said both parties on Saturday offered several counterproposals and progress was made on several topics. Talks are continuing in the hope of reaching a "fair and equitable" agreement, the company added.

This content was created by Oil Price Information Service, which is operated by Dow Jones & Co. OPIS is run independently from Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal.

-- Reporting by Frank Tang, ftang@opisnet.com; Editing by Jeffrey Barber, jbarber@opisnet.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

February 02, 2026 14:23 ET (19:23 GMT)