St. Paul Park, MN – On March 1, the lockout of Teamsters at Marathon’s Saint Paul Park refinery entered its sixth week, after a 24-hour strike by the Teamsters on January 21. Marathon is pushing an agenda of job cuts and attacks on safety, so little progress has been made at the table.

Teamsters do not appear to be backing down and say they will keep fighting for as long as needed to keep the community safe.

The union members have been picketing at entrances and other key locations around the refinery. They have set up headquarters at the Saint Paul Park American Legion building, as well as encampments around burn-barrels to stay warm through some of the coldest stretches in recent history.

Members of many unions have been showing up to picket with the Teamsters and to drop off supplies like food and much-needed firewood to keep them warm through the cold nights. As temperatures begin to rise with the coming spring, the Teamsters remain in high spirits. One thing is clear: the Teamsters are dug in, not going anywhere, and are ready to stay out for the long haul if that is what is needed to get across their message of safety.

#SaintPaulParkMN #PeoplesStruggles #Strikes #TeamstersLocal120 #MarathonRefineryPark

St. Paul Park, MN – The Teamsters at Marathon Refinery in Saint Paul Park have now been locked out for more than 28 days and the two sides remain far apart. Negotiations resumed on February 15 and February 17, but the Teamsters saw little movement from management.

Marathon management has brought in a union-busting attorney from the Jones Day law firm, but the picket lines remain well staffed and spirits are strong. Trade unionists from many unions join the lines daily and cars driving by honk and wave constantly keeping up a festive atmosphere despite the cold of winter.

Ryan Bierman – a union steward with the Teamsters – says “We are just out here doing our deal. We’re pushing forward and really appreciate all the support from other unions and the community.”

Tylor Sardeson is a ten-year employee at Marathon and is one of the locked-out Teamsters. He had the following to say, “We’re 28 days in and that’s just the tip. Spirits are high as we’re fighting for a good contract.”

It appears that this lockout and contract dispute may continue for a long time to come.

#SaintPaulParkMN #PeoplesStruggles #TeamstersLocal120 #MarathonRefineryPark

St. Paul Park, MN – More than 75 vehicles joined a Valentine’s Day car caravan, February 14, to show support for members of Teamster Local 120, who are locked out at Marathon oil refinery after a one-day strike. Safety is the big issue. Marathon trying to contract out vital work at a lower cost, increasing the chance of major industrial accidents.

Teamsters have received broad backing from the trade union movement.

The February 14 car caravan took place in subzero temperatures. “No weather can stop Minnesota’s labor movement,” stated Claire Van den Berghe, the event co-planner and UFCW 1189 organizer.

#SaintPaulParkMN #PeoplesStruggles #TeamstersLocal120 #MarathonRefineryPark

St. Paul Park, MN – Teamsters Local 120 members at Marathon Refinery in Saint Paul Park have been locked out by Marathon management for more than ten days, after a 24-hour strike by the workers.

Teamsters agreed to end their strike after 24 hours as a new round of bargaining was scheduled for January 25. However, when the Teamsters attempted to return to work, they were instead locked out by the employer and not allowed to return. That Monday, no deal was reached and there are no more dates scheduled to resume bargaining.

Many unions and union members have marched on the picket lines in solidarity alongside the Teamsters throughout this strike-turned-lockout. This week, on Thursday, February 4, at 6 p.m. Teamsters 120 is holding a rally on the picket line and many unions plan to attend. You can join the rally at the intersection of 2nd Street and Broadway in Saint Paul Park.

Much of the reason the Teamsters were striking revolved around safety at the refinery. The Saint Paul Park refinery utilizes hydrofluoric acid, the same chemical which caused the evacuation of Superior, Wisconsin after the explosion at the Husky refinery in 2018. According to the union, they offered the unconditional return specifically to minimize the risk of accident with the toxic chemical.

When asked why he was out on the picket line, a 17-year refinery worker said, “The company wants to outsource our jobs to lower paid, less trained workers. This is a safety deal. The company is trying to make us do more than is safe.”

Teamsters Local 120 President Tom Erickson said, “I have been involved in union negotiations for over 30 years. I have never seen a company do something as reckless as what Marathon did tonight. Their decision could have major consequences to people’s lives. For the sake of everyone I pray they get lucky and it doesn’t.”

At this point with no further bargaining scheduled. It is unclear when there will be an end in sight to this lockout.

#SaintPaulParkMN #PeoplesStruggles #strike #Lockout #Strikes #Marathon