Detroit Casino Workers Give New Contract ApprovalCasino Employees Also End Strike At MGM Grand |
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After announcing a tentative deal about two weeks ago with two of Detroit’s three casinos, union members have now officially ratified the agreement with the final deal approved over the weekend.
Union workers walked off the job in October and the Detroit Casino Council, which represented several unions in the negotiations, announced an agreement about a month later. However, workers for MGM Grand rejected the deal and continued on the picket line. That strike has also now come to an end after the DCC also reached a deal with that property last week.
“We’re glad our DCC-represented employees voted tonight to ratify the 64-month contract and end the strike, allowing us to immediately resume full and normal operations at MGM Grand Detroit,” MGM said in a statement to Reuters after the vote.
Union Pleased With Results
The new union agreement covers about 3,700 workers at Hollywood, MotorCity, and MGM Grand Casinos. Union officials have hailed the new agreement as a major win for employees.
“After months of negotiations and 32 days on strike, the Detroit Casino Council has reached a tentative agreement for a new five-year contract with MGM Grand Detroit, Hollywood Casino at Greektown, and MotorCity Casino,” Unite Here Local 24 posted on Twitter. “Best agreement in the history of the Detroit casino industry.”
The DCC reported that the five-year deal gives employees a $3 per hour raise when they return to work as well as additional raises scheduled during the contract. The agreement also includes bonuses, no health insurance cost increases for employees, workload reductions, other job protections, addresses technology concerns for the first time, and more. Workers seemed pleased and ready to return to work.
“Since welcoming my son into the world, securing my family’s health care benefits was the most important thing to me,” MGM Grand Detroit valet and Teamsters member Gabriel Robert Hernandez told Michigan Advance. “We sacrificed a lot during the pandemic, but we fought for and ultimately won a contract that secures our health care and provides significantly improved wages.”
This brings to a close two major work stoppage concerns seen in the in casino industry over the last couple months. Thousands of workers in Las Vegas also threated a work stoppage at some of the city’s largest casinos. However, the two sides also reached an agreement with Caesars Entertainment, MGM Resorts, and Wynn Resorts to keep 18 properties operational.
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