Inside BP refinery’s 4-month labor lockout

Good morning, Chicago. ✶

🔎 Below: BP has locked out about 800 refinery workers in Whiting, Indiana, without pay for 140 days. We look into where things stand.

🗞️ Plus: Chicago State brings Division I football back to the city, the legacy of neighborhood block clubs and more news you need to know.

📝 Keeping score: The Cubs beat the Dodgers, 7-6; the White Sox fell to the Red Sox, 4-0; the Sky bested the Sparks, 95-88.

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⏱️: An 8-minute read

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TODAY’S WEATHER ☁️

Mostly cloudy with a chance of thunderstorms and a high near 78.

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CHICAGO JIGSAW PUZZLE 🧩

Piece together history to reveal more about today’s photo from the Sun-Times archives. 
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TODAY’S TOP STORY 🔎

Inside the nearly 5-month labor lockout at BP’s Whiting refinery

Reporting by Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco

Labor strife: For the last four months, about 800 workers represented by United Steelworkers Local 7-1 have been locked out of BP’s sprawling plant in Whiting, Indiana, without pay and with no clear indication of when they’ll return to work. During a lockout, management can prevent workers from returning to their jobs to withhold wages.

New playbook?: Lockouts are generally seen as a hardline tactic during labor disputes and tend to be rare, especially in the refining business, which requires continuous production and a highly skilled workforce. Longtime refinery workers worry Big Oil is experimenting with a new playbook to break union power, undermine national collective bargaining, and remake its workforce.

At issue: This year, 98% of USW Local 7-1 members voted to reject what the fossil fuel company called its last, best, and final offer. The company then issued a lockout order. The proposal would have held up wages, cut jobs, and expanded the use of artificial intelligence, according to the union. 

BP’s response: In a statement to WBEZ, BP objected to the union’s characterization of its demands and said most of what it’s seeking has “already been tested and implemented elsewhere” — and the lockout “allowed for a safe and orderly transition of operations.”

Pritzker writes oil CEOs: In other oil news, Gov. JB Pritzker on Wednesday penned letters to the U.S. CEOs of seven major oil companies, including BP America, accusing them of “profiteering” from the war in Iran and imploring them to return windfall profits to Illinois consumers, among other demands.

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HEALTH 🩺

Man loses job after falling ill from cyclosporiasis

Reporting by Michael Puente

Suffering from sickness: After eating at a Taco Bell, Edgar Mercado, 50, of Jefferson Park, suffered digestive issues that his doctor confirmed were cyclosporiasis, caused by the microscopic parasite cyclospora. Mercado said his symptoms were so debilitating that he couldn’t work his job at a Jewel distribution facility in Melrose Park and was let go.

Plans to sue: Mercado said he plans to sue Taco Bell and Taylor Farms, the company believed to have distributed contaminated lettuce, for his illness and loss of wages. Ron Simon, Mercado’s attorney, said his firm represents 300 Illinoisans who claim to have gotten sick from cyclospora.

Key context: There are 995 confirmed and probable cases of the diarrhea-causing illness in Illinois, the state’s public health department said Tuesday. No deaths have been reported in Illinois, though two people with underlying health conditions have died in Michigan.

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POLITICS ✶

Krishnamoorthi shifts focus to new PAC — and his political future

Reporting by Tina Sfondeles

What’s next?: After his Senate primary loss, U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi is shifting his fundraising powers to a political action committee to benefit other Democrats ahead of his own exit from Congress — a move that also gives him flexibility should he decide to run for office again.

Starter PAC: Krishnamoorthi has launched a new hybrid PAC called Equal Opportunity Now. Federal Election Commission filings show the PAC had $2,369,758.26 cash on hand at the end of June. The congressman’s Senate campaign fund still has $74,587.81 cash on hand. This week, the PAC was slated to announce contributions to a slew of state and Chicago candidates, with plans to give $100,000 to candidates this month alone, a source told the Sun-Times.

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COURTS ⚖️

• Man linked to deaths of 2 teens: Paranoid his girlfriend was betraying him to a rival gang, Anthony Nunnally, 21, shot and killed her last October — more than a year after he fatally shot another girlfriend, prosecutors alleged in court Wednesday.
• Lab owner’s COVID scheme: Mohamed Sirajudeen, a lab owner, pleaded guilty to bilking the federal government out of hundreds of millions of dollars as part of a coronavirus testing scheme tied to former Loretto Hospital Chief Financial Officer Anosh Ahmed.
• No probe needed?: Chicago U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros argued in a late Tuesday court filing that it’s unnecessary to appoint an outside lawyer to investigate for misconduct or potentially impose sanctions in the tainted “Broadview Six” case that has created a credibility crisis for his office.
• Pullman plant sued over odors: The city and Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul are suing vegetable oil plant Pullman Innovations over odors they say have “caused illegal air pollution.”

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MORE NEWS YOU NEED 🗞️

• Speaker’s scandal response criticized: A new initiative by embattled Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch does little more than pay “lip service” to addressing Springfield’s persistent culture of sexual harassment, according to state Rep. Kelly Cassidy.
• Turning the page: The Chicago History Museum has named Michael J. Anderson as its new president and CEO, following a nationwide search to succeed Donald Lassere, who exited the role in January amid a rocky period for the Lincoln Park institution.
• Remembering Pearl Rieger: As an educational diagnostician, Rieger tested children for learning disabilities and helped them identify strengths, weaknesses and a path forward. She died July 23 at age 98.
• More CPS campuses join program: Chicago Public Schools will open 15 more Sustainable Community Schools this school year, meaning roughly 10% of district schools will receive extra funding to partner with nonprofits and provide services for students, like after-school programming or health checkups.
• Portillo’s makes cuts at HQ: The food chain cut roughly 140 employees at its Oak Brook headquarters as it continues a reset attempt amid lower sales across restaurants, the company announced.

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COMMUNITY CONNECTION ✶

Despite disinvestment, a longtime West Sider has stayed put with the help of block clubs

Reporting by Jewél Jackson

Block club breakdown: Block clubs are coalitions of neighbors who volunteer to improve the physical and social conditions of their block. That can range from planting flowers on the parkway to buying abandoned homes in order to increase the neighborhood’s market value. These clubs differ from homeowners associations because they are not legally mandated for residents to participate in or pay fees toward.

Key context: During the Great Migration of the early 20th century, the Chicago Urban League provided financial and community support to new arrivals, including helping to form block clubs. Today, you’ll still see evidence of block clubs in South and West Side neighborhoods: colorful signs, often wooden and hand-painted.

Chicagoan’s POV: West Garfield Park resident Helen King has been a member of the Westside Block Club Association for decades. “We all needed and wanted the same things. We wanted success and we wanted our kids to be safe,” King said of her early years with the block club. 

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ON WBEZ 91.5 FM 📻

In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons, 9 a.m.

• Bidding wars: On the North Side, some buyers are going hundreds of thousands above the asking price to win bidding wars for the few available homes. The Sun-Times’ Abby Miller joins the show with a buyer and a professional realtor to discuss navigating this turbulent housing market.
• Midwestern flavor: Martin Sorge, baker, author and winner of the “Great American Baking Show,” talks about his new cookbook, an ode to the flavors and tradition of the Midwest.

Say More with Mary Dixon and Patrick Smith, 10 a.m.

• What if Chicago’s top priority was climate change?: Karen Weigert of Loyola University’s Baumhart Center for Social Enterprise and Responsibility sits down to discuss the local effects of climate change. Callers weigh in.

LISTEN LIVE 🎧

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FROM THE PRESS BOX 🏈⚾🏀

• Stevenson’s focus: With 2024’s infamous “Fail Mary” in mind, Bears CB Tyrique Stevenson is still seeking consistency.
• Pitching in: Daniel Palencia is nearing a return from the IL, but the Cubs say they’ll be “flexible” while Jacob Webb shines as their go-to reliever.
• Picking up patterns: While on the IL, White Sox catcher Kyle Teel saved Davis Martin from tipping pitches this week.
• Making progress: The Sky’s DiJonai Carrington is finding her form faster than expected in her return from injury.

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CHICAGO MINI CROSSWORD 🌭

Today’s clue: 7A: ___ Island (South Side spot named for a rocky spot in prehistoric-Lake Chicago)

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BRIGHT ONE 🔆

Chicago State prepares to make history as Division I football returns to Chicago

Reporting by Elijah James

Players cycled through warm-ups, worked at individual position drills and scrimmaged under the watchful eyes of coaches and gathered media Wednesday at Chicago State University.

It was a lot like any other media day for most Division I football programs. Except this was Chicago State University, and it has never had a football team before. Wednesday’s open practice at the Emil and Patricia A. Jones Convocation Center was a milestone for both the university and the city. 

The Cougars, playing in the Football Championship Subdivision, will become the first Division I football team to call the city home since the University of Chicago last fielded a Division I team in 1939. After that season, U of C famously shut down its program and left the Big Ten; that school now competes in Division III.

Offensive line coach Arthur Ray Jr., a Mount Carmel High School graduate, said the significance of the program extends beyond the football field. He views it as an opportunity to establish a Division I team that truly belongs to the city.

“Chicago’s a sports city, and we’re building the next great sports platform at a Division I university right on the South Side,” Ray said. “We’re truly Chicago’s only Division I team. You ain’t got to go far, we’re right down the street from Old Fashioned Donuts, Harold’s down the street on 87th. This is real Chicago, real South Side.”

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YOUR DAILY QUESTION ☕️

Have you ever been part of a block club in your community? What have you accomplished that you’re most proud of?

Reply to this question via email (please include your first and last name). We may run your answer in a future newsletter or story.

Yesterday, we asked you: If you had 24 hours left in Chicago, what would you do?

Here’s some of what you said…

“Eat at LaScarola. Sit at Promontory Point. Find an old video of the Bulls beating Utah for the NBA championship with my buds. Then end it with gelato from Freddy’s.” — P. Teodo

“I’d invite friends and family to join me at Lincoln Park Zoo to have a picnic. Then we could pop over to North Avenue Beach for a swim.  I’d want to hang out near Lake Michigan until dawn, to watch the sunrise, and then be on my way.” — Christine Bock

“Shop at Atlas Stationers; go to a White Sox game; thin crust at Vito & Nick’s; ice cream at Dairy Star [in Lincolnwood].” — Mike Chamernik

“Take the river architecture tour, go to the Obama museum, find a place for deep dish pizza and walk along the lake, weather permitting.” — Linda Sedey Bokuniewicz

“Have a Rainbow Cone, or just Palmer House ice cream if I’m not hungry, then spend the rest of the day in the Art Institute, mostly the Thorne Rooms and the Impressionists.” — Margaret Laing

“Sleep in with my wife, then we’d hit Ann Sather for breakfast, then a Cubs game at Wrigley, stroll along the lakefront from Fullerton South; take a last quick look through the zoo and the Historical Society; gander at the chess players, grab happy hour meal at Miller’s Pub; catch the fountain lights; catch Second cCty show; then return with my wife and spend my last of those hours at The Drake.” — Jeff Mossy Cade

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Written and curated by: Matt Moore
Edited by: Michael Lansu and Esther Bergdahl

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