To: All Represented BMRF/B&P Employees
The union continues to spread misinformation about how we got here, and you deserve to know the truth.
Union claim: The union’s strike notice did not cause the lockout.
- Fact: The Company would not have locked out had the union not issued strike notice.
- Fact: The union never withdrew its strike notice.
Union claim: Strike notices are no big deal.
- Fact: Strike notices are a huge deal. The Company designs most of its EMCO plan and incurs cost based on strike notice.
- Fact: Strike notices are very rare because most unions know they are serious and know what they really mean.
- Fact: The Company could not ensure safe continuous operations with the union being able to strike anytime with only 24 hours’ notice.
Union claim: The Company’s 2015 letter that the union posted shows the lockout was unnecessary.
- Fact: 2015 shows exactly why the Company locked out. The union conveniently failed to mention that, in 2015, the USW International and many Locals called an industry strike during pattern bargaining. Those unnecessary strikes showed the industry that the union would strike.
- Fact: In 2015, the Company and union made progress and were close to a deal. In 2021, the Company and union were never close, and the union took firm positions in January that have never changed.
Union claim: Even if the strike notice caused the lockout, the Company’s unreasonable offers have kept it going.
- Fact: Every major proposal the union claims is unacceptable is in other ExxonMobil/USW contracts and is very common in contracts in general.
- Fact: The Company has enhanced its offers several times to address specific union concerns.
- Fact: The union has moved little since January.
- Fact: The union refused to hold a vote on any Company offers until a group of Beaumont Refinery and Blending & Packaging Plant employees threatened to decertify. The lockout may have been prevented had there been a ratification vote in the 3 months between the strike and lockout notices and the lockout.
Union claim: The Company locked out because its real goal was decertification.
- Fact: The Company’s goal was to avoid a work stoppage and reach an agreement that would position Beaumont and our employees for the future.
- Fact: The Company favors decertification and encourages employees to vote “No” now because we believe everyone would be better off.
- Fact: Non-represented employees avoid strikes and lockouts and can always bring back a union if they are not satisfied.
- Fact: No ExxonMobil employees have decertified, then later decided to bring a union back in.
Union claim: The Company should offer the “6% decertification bonus.”
- Fact: BRPO’s 6% wage increase was not a “decertification bonus.” The Company did not and cannot make promises based on decertification. The Company makes non-represented wage increase decisions based on many factors. We have shown you that non-represented employees currently receive higher wages and better benefits, and less discipline – all without paying over $1000 in union dues and without strike/lockout risk. But non-represented wage and benefit decisions have nothing to do with union bargaining.
Any questions related to the employee led decertification effort can be submitted to Beaumont Area HR Department at Beaumont.Area.HR@exxonmobil.com.