Strike at Marathon Petroleum refinery in Detroit where workers push for 'union security'
DETROIT (FOX 2) - More labor unrest is building in Detroit, this time at the massive Marathon petroleum refinery near I-75 where members of Teamsters Local 283 walked off the job early Wednesday morning.
The union represents about 270 workers employed at the refinery, who dropped their tools and began picketing at 5 a.m. in protest of better wages and better working conditions.
Workers have been without a contract since January when it expired. Negotiations have dragged for months, but with little resolution the employees are now taking more drastic action.
"It takes anywhere from two to three years to train someone to do this job, they have scabs in there. It's not safe for the citizens of Detroit," said Steve Hicks, president of Local 283. "They need to put our workers back in. We ask them to give people a 6% raise to keep up with inflation and give us union security."
A scab is a derogatory term used to describe a person who continues working even as a strike is authorized.
The picketers wore red and carried signs that said "On Strike" and "Unfair Labor Practices" outside the refinery.
The workers include chemists, mechanics, electricians, and a wide range of jobs. The local group authorized the strike with the support of 95% of its membership, a release from the union said.
The massive southwest Detroit facility refines 140,000 barrels of oil a day, Marathon's website says, processing crude oils into gasoline, distillates, asphalt, and others before distributing it out on pipeline, via truck, rail, and barge.
In a statement, the oil company said it was disappointed by the decision to strike. They also said they did not expect a disruption to supply while the disagreement continues.
"The company has negotiated in good faith, but the union thus far has been unwilling to agree to acceptable terms for an agreement and, instead, has decided to engage in a strike in support of its bargaining positions," the statement read. "We are fully prepared and have implemented plans to continue safely operating the facility with trained and qualified Marathon employees, and a safe and orderly handover to these experienced team members has been completed."
UAW demands Stellantis to uphold contract promises with rally in Sterling Heights
The UAW emphasized that the rally was not a picketing strike. However, "once the grievance procedure is exhausted under the national contract, the union may authorize a strike," according to the union.