748 refinery workers claimed they got nothing for hours spent waiting by the phone
Marathon Refining Logistics Services agreed to pay $9 million to settle allegations that hundreds of refinery workers went uncompensated for mandatory on-call shifts.
The settlement, filed for final approval on March 23, 2026, resolves a class action involving 748 current and former operators and lab workers at Marathon Refining Logistics Services LLC's Los Angeles Refinery – the largest refinery on the West Coast, with a crude oil capacity of 365,000 barrels per calendar day. The case is pending before Judge Dale Fischer in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, with a final approval hearing set for April 27, 2026. The settlement does not constitute an admission of liability by Marathon.
At the center of the dispute is a scheduling practice called "Primary Relief." According to court filings, Marathon assigned employees to two-hour on-call windows during which they had to stay available and be able to reach the refinery within 90 minutes. They were expected to be well-rested, sober, and keep the rest of their day clear in case they needed to work a full 12-hour shift. If they failed to answer the call or show up, they risked discipline – up to and including termination.
Here is the part that matters most: employees who were called in got paid their normal rate for a 12-hour shift. Employees who stayed on standby but were never called in allegedly got nothing. The...
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