The biggest oil companies in the United States are playing hardball in unionized labor negotiations in a bid to get more concessions from workers’ unions in the new contracts. Over the past few years, some of the top U.S. refining companies have resorted to lockouts to ensure most of the company management’s proposals in new labor contracts are accepted. The trend began earlier this decade with Exxon locking out in 2021 as many as 650 workers out of the Beaumont refinery for 10 months. This was the longest labor dispute at a U.S. refinery…