Workers at Martinez refinery continue strike

Union workers from a Martinez refinery continued to strike on Thursday over what they said is their need for a new contract and a lack of good-faith negotiations from their parent company.

The strike by workers at the Martinez Renewables facility began their strike Monday and workers picketing outside the facility Thursday said they have not received word that any agreement is close. The workers are represented by the United Steelworkers Local 5.

The company is owned by Marathon Petroleum.

“The company has negotiated in good faith,” Marathon spokesperson Jamal Kheiry wrote in an email. “A safe and orderly handover to trained and qualified Marathon employees was completed.”

In a statement posted on social media, Local 5’s Julio Mojica said meetings between workers and the company have ongoing since January and that workers are seeking a four-year deal. He said their demands come following the a national agreement that four-year agreements will be the standard for union-staffed oil-refinery workers.

“We are small in numbers but fierce in strength and are striking together as a brotherhood and fighting for our jobs and livelihoods,” Mojica wrote.

The previous labor contract expired on Jan. 31.

The strike comes amid rising gas prices but was not expected to have a major impact on local prices, according to union workers who picketed.

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This story was originally published May 1, 2026 at 9:32 AM.