Altshuler Berzon LLP wins cases against Marathon oil refinery, compels refinery to arbitrate grievances with labor unions

On May 9, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California granted summary judgment to Altshuler Berzon LLP’s clients International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 302, and Operating Engineers Local 3 in a pair of cases against Marathon Petroleum Co. at its refinery in Martinez, California. Marathon refused to arbitrate the Unions’ grievances about whether it violated a project labor agreement by subcontracting construction work to non-union contractors who did not agree to comply with the agreement. The federal court rejected Marathon’s argument that it had no duty to arbitrate the Unions’ grievances and issued orders compelling arbitration. The orders compelling arbitration are available here and here.