Sisters and Brothers,

As previously stated, we have agreed to a 24-hour rolling extension to continue bargaining at the refinery table. British Petroleum has not agreed to a 24-hour rolling extension at the pipeline table, so we are working without a contract there. Under an extension, everything in our contract remains in place with a 24-hour notice required to terminate the extension. To clarify, we do not need to renew this extension every 24 hours. The rolling extension remains in place until either party serves 24-hour notice of their intent to cancel the rolling extension. If either party serves 24-hour notice to terminate the rolling extension, we will notify you and provide detailed instructions of the steps to follow. For our pipeline members who are working without a contract, the law provides that British Petroleum generally must keep wages, hours, and working conditions the same while negotiations for a successor agreement are underway. But other contractual provisions such as arbitration are not in effect.

At both tables we have spent a great deal of time understanding and working through proposals but have come to agreement on very few issues. The larger issues of bargaining rights, seniority rights, bidding rights, layoff provisions including the ability to strike, job elimination, wage reductions, etc. remain on the table.

We have heard from many of our members who are ready to strike to move the company towards a fair agreement. A strike is certainly a possibility, but we want to reiterate that this is not an option that we take lightly. All options remain on the table.

We understand that tensions are high as we work through negotiations. It is extremely important that you continue to report to work as scheduled and remain focused while at work. We must ensure the safe operation of our facilities. While at work, we ask that you continue to send a clear message that the company needs to address our concerns. Your solidarity is our strength and, together, we will secure the fair contract that we deserve.

In solidarity,

USW Local 7-1 Board of Directors