International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 283 President Steve Hicks joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to talk about the status of negotiations at the Marathon Petroleum Refinery in Detroit and explain why members voted to approve a strike if negotiations do not improve.
Hicks has been a member of the Teamsters for almost 44 years, with 28 of those years serving as the Local 283 President. He is the longest-serving Teamsters Local president in Michigan, as the membership has re-elected him to the position nine times. The Local is home to over 800 workers around the Detroit area.
Members who work at the Detroit Marathon Petroleum refinery recently voted with a 95 percent approval rate to authorize a strike. One of the main sticking points in the new Collective Bargaining Agreement is pay, as the company has yet to offer a reasonable pay raise that matches the rate of inflation. Hicks noted the refinery has record profits and awarded bonuses to executives and CEOs, while not helping the workers.
Marathon is also refusing to make Martin Luther King Jr. Day a holiday, something that shocked Hicks. Amongst other issues is the inflexibility of the work schedule. He explained the scheduling issues and how the current schedule creates a workplace safety hazard. Hicks said the members are ready to go on strike but will exhaust all possible routes before committing to the strike.
Listen to the show above to hear more about the potential strike by Teamsters Local 283.