(CBS DETROIT) – Teamsters announced that workers at Marathon Petroleum’s Detroit refinery have voted to authorize a strike two weeks after their contract expired.
According to a press release, more than 90% of the 273 workers represented by Local 283 voted in favor, demanding better pay and improved schedules. Workers include board operators, field operators, chemists, laboratory technicians, electricians and mechanics.
Their contract expired at midnight on Jan. 31, according to the union.
“Though Marathon Petroleum made nearly $10 billion in profit in 2023 on the backs of Teamsters, the company claims to not have enough to pay their workers their fair share,” Steve Hicks, president of Local 283, said in a statement. “If Marathon won’t offer the Teamsters whose labor makes them profitable a fair contract, workers are going to withhold their labor. This overwhelming strike authorization should send a clear message to Marathon that Teamsters are committed to getting what they deserve.”