Marathon refinery strikers decry 'scab' workers amid protest over better contract
Strikers decry Marathon bringing in workers as public health threat
The union workers on strike at Marathon Petroleum's refinery in Detroit are still protesting the company amid contract negotiations for safer work conditions and better pay. The company has brought in other workers to operate the facility, which the striking workers say is unsafe.
DETROIT (FOX 2) - Last year, labor unrest spilled into the public when auto workers went on strike in one of the biggest protests against the car manufacturers in years. Soon after, casino workers also walked off the job in Detroit, refusing to clock in until a better contract was secured.
Those successful protests served as inspiration behind the latest union picketing - this time in Detroit at the Marathon Petroleum refinery in the southwest portion of the city.
Its leader says the gas company made billions of dollars in just three months, and ‘won’t share it with the workers, which is a shame."
"Marathon has refused to bargain," said Steve Hicks. "They wouldn't bargain so we had to come out on strike try to get them back to the table."
Hicks is president of Teamsters Local 283, which has been picketing since last week when workers left their stations at the massive facility early in the morning. To keep the factory running, Hicks says Marathon brought in other workers to run the facility while they negotiate.
"They’ve had scab workers in here for weeks waiting, trying to push us out the door," he said. "They got managers doing our job - very unsafe. The public needs to know that."
The union says they work in unsafe environments - and having other untrained workers doing their job is an even bigger threat to the public.
"Over time, you learn things about the equipment you’re working on and these guys aren’t going to be privy to," said Travis Jackson, who works as a field equipment operator. "Definitely not in a couple of weeks."
Also on the table are negotiations for better pay raises.
FOX 2 reached out to Marathon for comment, which said it had "full-time, trained and qualified Marathon employees currently operating the refinery are primarily local, Detroit-based employees who are familiar with this refinery, along with a small group of employees drawn from our nationwide operations."
The company added the safety of its workers were a top priority and that they were committed to maintaining "our vigilant focus on compliance, reliability and care for the environment."
But Nicholas Wonsowicz, who is a lab technician at the company, said that's not the case - wearing a shirt with the words ‘Teamsters fuel Marathon’s profits' to prove it.
"That’s us clocking in, punching the clock, showing up weekends, holidays - doing 12-hour shifts, 16-hour shifts," he said.
And as this strike continues this union is asking for the public’s help.
"Don’t buy Marathon gas right now," Hicks said. "Send them a message that you want your city safe. You don’t want scab workers in there working. Bring back the Teamsters-certified workers."