HOUSTON (Reuters) – The United Steelworkers union (USW) offered a modified proposal to Exxon Mobil Corp on Thursday in a bid to end an eight-month lockout of workers at the company’s Beaumont, Texas, refinery, a union official said.

The two sides met for about an hour on Thursday morning, said Bryan Gross, USW international representative. It was the first time Exxon and union have met in a negotiating session since late October.

(Reporting by Erwin Seba)