Bernie Sanders joins striking Marathon refinery workers on picket line in Detroit

As U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, spoke outside of Marathon Petroleum Refinery on South Fort Street in Detroit on Sunday evening, the union members paused their picket, gathered around and listened.

"I want to thank you for standing up against this outrageous level of corporate greed we are seeing all over this country," Sanders began to the crowd of dozens of Marathon employees. "Your CEO is making what, 23 million a year? (The) corporation made what, 9 billion in profits? They can't give you a decent contract? Give me a break."

Steve Hicks, president of Teamsters Local 283, said the union has been on strike for four weeks after failing to agree on a contract with Marathon. While he said the strike is a matter of maintaining fair pay and dignity, it's also about the safety of the community.

Many of the new workers brought into the Detroit plant by Marathon to replace striking workers come from outside of the city and sometimes outside of Michigan entirely, he said.

"They don't know how to run this plant," Hicks said.

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"People coming in from other refineries, they don't know the intricacies and geographic locations in the plant," Jeff Tricoff, a Teamsters recording secretary, said. "There is, I think, a 20-mile blast radius in a catastrophic situation," he added. The plant is on the southwestern edge of Detroit.

Sanders addressed these concerns when he spoke to the crowd.

"In terms of safety, you guys know the job. You're certified. You're here to protect the community. You do not need to have people in here, who are here for a quick buck, who don't know how to work the machinery and protect the community inside of there," Sanders said, gesturing toward the refinery plant behind him.

The Free Press left messages with Marathon officials Sunday night seeking comment.

Kevin Moore, president of the Michigan Teamsters, was also concerned about the safety of the plant.

"This is an environmental nightmare here. If this plant goes up, it's 25 square miles (of damage). You've got noncertified people doing your job," Moore told the crowd before introducing Sanders. "If this thing goes up, it will destroy this whole community. You don't have a better fighter in that than Bernie Sanders."

Sanders, who regularly visits union demonstrations throughout America, told the crowd of Marathon employees that their demonstrations are similar to other labor disputes all across the country.

"What you're doing, and we're seeing this, I've got to tell you, all over the country: Working people have had it up to here," Sanders said. "They're standing up, they're fighting back and Teamsters, thank you very much for what you're doing. I'm proud to stand with you."

Breaking news reporter Liam Rappleye can be reached at LRappleye@freepress.com

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Bernie Sanders joins striking Marathon refinery workers on picket line in Detroit