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Marathon, Teamsters negotiations remain at grinding halt as strike enters third week

Marathon Petroleum and the Teamsters union, which represents refinery workers in Detroit, Michigan, are at a dead stop as negotiations for a new labor agreement stagnate and the strike at the plant enters its 3rd week.

More than 200 Teamsters at Marathon's Detroit refinery required an economic strike on Sept. 4 after nine months of pay- and safety-related negotiations and mediation with Marathon failed to reach contract. The previous agreement ended in January.

Unfortunately, the parties have not reached an agreement, a Marathon representative stated.

Marathon agents and the union had several negotiating sessions under a federal mediator, including this past Friday and Sunday.

We continue to remain in regular communication with the federal arbitrator; however, at this time, no extra settlement conferences are set up.

Teamsters Resident 283 represents 273 workers at the Detroit refinery, 95% of whom authorized the strike.

President of Teamsters Local 283 Steve Hicks said Marathon agents ignored the bargaining table at the newest round of agreement talks this previous weekend and canceled the negotiating session that was due this Friday.

The Detroit refinery began prepared turnaround activities previously this month.

The 140,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) Detroit refinery is one of Marathon's 13 refineries with approximately 2.9 million bpd of petroleum refining capability.

(source: Reuters)