Labor disputes widen

Two labor fights on opposite sides of the world are hitting household budgets at once: locked-out workers in Indiana and unpaid retirees in Visakhapatnam are both waiting for money they say is owed. (chicagotribune.com) (thehindu.com) In northwest Indiana, more than 800 British Petroleum workers at the Whiting refinery had been locked out for about three weeks as of April 11, and 1,630 Northern Indiana Public Service Company workers had been locked out for more than a week after contract talks failed. (chicagotribune.com) (nipsco.com) Northern Indiana Public Service Company said it started its lockout after negotiations with the United Steelworkers missed an extended April 2, 2026 deadline. The utility said its final proposal included raises of at least 4% over the contract term and a $5,000 ratification bonus, while the union said the dispute centered on contractors, overtime rules and outage work. (nipsco.com) (indianapublicradio.org) (giant.fm) At British Petroleum’s Whiting refinery, the lockout began on March 19 after the United Steelworkers rejected the company’s latest offer. Union leaders said British Petroleum wanted to eliminate more than 100 union jobs and cut wages across most classifications, while the company said the changes were needed for the refinery’s long-term sustainability. (chicago.suntimes.com) (abc7chicago.com) (money.usnews.com) Those Indiana disputes have spread beyond the job sites. Local reports said workers from both fights joined solidarity protests, and families told the Chicago Tribune they were cutting spending while paychecks stopped. (pharostribune.com) (chicagotribune.com) (themilitant.com) In Visakhapatnam, the pressure is different: former workers say they left under a voluntary retirement scheme and still have not received full dues. The Hindu reported on April 11 that the Vizag Steel Employees Union accused India’s steel ministry of posting “false” replies about those payments. (thehindu.com) The union said 486 employees who opted for the second phase of the voluntary retirement scheme in September 2024 were still waiting for payments. The dispute centers on retirement benefits rather than an active lockout, but the immediate effect is similar: households are missing expected income. (thehindu.com) Both stories turn on the same question: who absorbs the cost when negotiations stall. In Indiana, companies say they bargained in good faith and can keep operating; in Visakhapatnam, retirees and their union say promised payments are still overdue. (nipsco.com) (money.usnews.com) (thehindu.com) For now, none of the three disputes had a final resolution by April 12. That leaves refinery workers, utility crews and retired steel employees in the same position: waiting for talks, or payments, to catch up with bills already due. (chicagotribune.com) (nipsco.com) (thehindu.com)