Detroit Casino Workers Strike In Effort For Better Pay, Healthcare

DETROIT — Roughly 3,700 workers at Detroit's three casinos went on strike Tuesday after months of failed negotiations, according to the union representing the workers.

Dealers, cleaning staff, food and beverage workers, valets, engineers and others walked off the job at noon from the MGM Grand, MotorCity Casino Hotel and Hollywood Casino at Greektown in Downtown Detroit.

The Detroit Casino Council, who represents the workers, said they negotiated overnight, but rejected the casinos' final offer Tuesday morning. The union said the casinos' offer failed to meet key provisions, inducing:

• Protecting healthcare
• Winning job security/technology language that already exists in other casino markets
• Improving the value of retirement where there has been no increase in eight years
• Reducing the high workloads that have resulted from 1500 fewer jobs post pandemic
• Securing significant wage increases to make up for the ones workers sacrificed during the pandemic.

"Making the decision to strike is never easy, but it’s past time for the workers who keep Detroit’s casinos running to get their fair share," President of Unite Here Local 24 Nia Winston said. "The city’s big three casino operators are earning more than ever, and we’re prepared to stay out on strike until we get what we deserve."

Patch reached out to MotorCity Casino Hotel for comment and will update this story if woe hear back.

The strike could significantly impact the casinos, Detroit and Michigan, as well as putting at risk "approximately $738,000 in city and state tax revenues and $3.4 million in casino operator revenues per day," according to the union.

Almost all union workers (99 percent) voted to authorize the strike, according to the union.

Casino workers are represented by five unions under the Detroit Casino Council: Unite Here, United Auto Workers, Teamsters, Operating Engineers and the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters.