It’s bad enough to see Exxon’s profits rise 36 percent in the past quarter (net income of a nice cool $10.36 billion) and Chevron’s profits hit record highs (though apparently the net income of $4.35 billion wasn’t good enough for the speculators because the company’s share price dropped on this “bad” news)–all happening at the expense of the average person. But, what the press should be reporting is what is happening to workers at Marathon Oil.

Marathon is trying to bust its unions. The Teamsters struck the company’s refinery in St. Paul, Minnesota after the company–get this!–demanded that workers agree to be “on call”, every day except for 3 days a month, during the 12 hours that they are not working. Right now, workers sweat for the company 12 hours straight. This is insane.

Now, is this because the company is losing money? No. The company boasts that is has had the best every earnings period in its history. The company plowed $4 billion into a buy-out of a joint venture and dropped $2.2 billion on upgrading a Louisiana facility. Oh, yes: CEO Clarence P. Cazalot took home (the word “robbery” also come to mind) $16,967,388 in total compensation including stock option grants from Marathon Oil. From previous years’ stock option grants, he cashed out $23,698,339 in stock option exercises. Cazalot has another $22,972,226 in unexercised stock options from previous years.

No, this is about a greedy corporation trying to simply squeeze workers a bit more simply because it thinks it can. Not because it is hurting financially. Because it feels strong and wants to use its power to trample on people who simply want their off-hours at home to be their time, not the company’s time.

Earth to press. Stop printing the press release about the oil companies record-breaking profits (thought it would be nice to have some reporting expressing some outrage about those profits). Look at how the financial power of these companies is allowing at least one company to lay siege to its workers.