The United Steelworkers (USW) say locked-out workers, members of USW Local 13-243 from the ExxonMobil oil refinery and blending/packaging plant in Beaumont, reported for work and were turned away by ExxonMobil earlier this month despite the company recording 2.7 billion in earnings for the first three months of 2021. A proxy-holding USW delegate attended the annual shareholders meeting, which took place virtually, to raise questions about ExxonMobil’s unfair labor practices and lockout with the company’s shareholders and top executives.

The workers demonstrated outside the company’s offices in Irving during the shareholders’ meeting. They were joined at the rally by USW members from ExxonMobil’s Baytown facility and Dallas area union activists showing solidarity with the locked-out workers.

“We won’t let ExxonMobil starve workers into accepting concessions that will undermine safety, job security and seniority rights,” said Ruben Garza, USW District 13 director. “Executives, directors and shareholders need to know that the USW will hold the company accountable for its violations of federal labor law.”

Garza said that the union has filed unfair labor practice charges with Region 16 of the National Labor Relations Board.

“We are firmly committed to fighting ExxonMobil’s attempts to divide workers and break our union,” he said. “We remain united in solidarity for a fair contract in Beaumont despite the company’s choice to plan, orchestrate and execute this unfair labor practice lockout.”

The USW represents 850,000 workers employed in metals, mining, pulp and paper, rubber, chemicals, glass, auto supply and energy-producing industries, along with a growing number of workers in healthcare, public sector, higher education, tech and service occupations.