By Erwin Seba

HOUSTON (Reuters] – Union members representing workers locked out at Exxon Mobil (NYSE:) Corp’s Beaumont, Texas, refinery have submitted a petition to force a vote on removing the union, the union and company said on Wednesday.

Exxon and local United Steelworkers union claimed that they received notification from the U.S. National Labor Relations Board that a petition for their removal had been filed. There was no indication when the vote would take place.

This union represents approximately 650 workers that have been denied work since May 1st, after failing to negotiate a new contract. The previous contract expired February.

Bryan Gross (USW International representative) stated that there are people being held hostage for up to six months. It’s starting to get quite difficult.

Exxon stated that the company values employee choices and believed in the importance of direct relationships between employees and the company. This was confirmed by an Exxon spokesperson.

USW filed a NLRB complaint in April alleging Exxon had violated federal laws by providing decertification materials to an employee, email addresses of employees and the use of a computer at work and an email system to promote decertification.

Exxon stated that it initiated the lockout in order to prevent disruptions from a strike. USW claimed that the proposal by the company would eliminate seniority and provide separate contracts to workers at both the oil refinery and adjacent lubricant oil plants.