Steve Hicks, president of Teamsters Local 283, said the union is eager to return to the negotiating table but noted Marathon’s reluctance to negotiate further. The union is pushing for higher wages and argues that Marathon’s proposed 3% annual raise is too low to keep up with inflation. Union members are also pressing for union security, especially after Michigan repealed its right-to-work law in February of this year.
Hicks stressed the possibility that the strike could spread to other Marathon facilities if negotiations break down. Marathon Petroleum operates 13 refineries, including a 140,000-bpd Detroit facility, and has a total crude refining capacity of about 2.9 million bpd.
The Detroit refinery strike comes at a time when workers at Marathon’s 102,000-barrel-per-day Saint Paul refinery are also represented by the Teamsters. As of today, Marathon Petroleum has not commented on the strike or the potential for it to spread to other locations.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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