Last night we got still one more view of the situation swirling around Sunoco’s decision to idle their Marcus Hook refinery while they seek a buyer.
Actually we got two.
Our thanks to Michael McLain, a member of United Steelworkers 10-901 that represents workers at the plant, as well as Marcus Hook Mayor James Schiliro.
Schiliro talked about the economic death knell that is sounding over the town where he was born and raised.
McLain talked about the human toll the move is taking on workers and their families.
If you missed the show, you can catch the replay here.
It is without question the most important story in the county today.
It is literally the end of an era.
This morning I received an email from McLain thanking us for our continued coverage of the story.
He made one of the best arguments I’ve heard for another refiner coming into the plant.
Here’s what he said:
"We realize that we will not be working for Sunoco or Conoco any longer, and our focus must be to attract new owners to these refineries. With the right owners, a functional management team and the world class workforce that we provide, there is money to be made in these facilities.
" In the past, the Pew family rode out many of the peaks and valleys of the refining industry. Whether through adaptation of the processes, technological advances, or just plain perseverance, the company always survived to live another day and reach the peak again with a fist full of money.
"In the modern day business environment, companies such as Sunoco are unwilling to ride out the roller-coaster. These corporations parachute off the ride to safety, leaving the employees and communities to go down with the ship, scrambling for a seat on the life boats.
"However, I am hopeful that there is a company out there willing to ride out the storm. As I said last night, the age of motor fuel is a long way from being over, and market conditions will change. The question is, when the next northeast refining boom is in sight, will there be anyone left in the northeast to benefit from the windfall or will the profits float overseas never to be realized in this region again. I hope for the good of the nearly 20,000 families that will be directly effected by these closures a savior appears. If they do, our memberships will be there to welcome them with open arms, willing to work at making these businesses successful. "
Amen to that, brother!
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