Teamsters Union Local 120, representing the employees at the Marathon Refinery in St. Paul Park, has declared a strike against the refinery, that started on Thursday. According to published reports, the strike was called due to what Union representatives called unfair labor practices and workplace safety. State Senator Karla Bigham visited the picket line on Thursday night.
A release from Marathon says, “We safely assumed operation of the refinery with trained and qualified personnel. Our comprehensive contingency planning has prepared us to continue safely operating the facility, including maintaining our vigilant focus on compliance, reliability, and care for the environment. We do not anticipate supply disruptions in Minnesota, or the Midwest region, including at our Speedway stations, and we expect to continue meeting all of our customer commitments.”