Detroit casinos, workers 'dollars apart' on wages, union council says
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Workers at Detroit’s three casinos continued picketing a second day Wednesday, after negotiations between unions and casino leadership failed to reach new contracts earlier this week.
As of Wednesday afternoon, there had been no new negotiations since the unions went on strike Tuesday against MGM Grand Detroit, MotorCity Casino Hotel and Hollywood Casino at Greektown., said Meghan Cohorst, spokesperson for Unite Here. No bargaining meetings have been scheduled.
The Detroit Casino Council, which represents 3,700 workers at the three casinos, and casino leaders remain “dollars apart” on wage increases, Cohorst said. The disagreement on pay is spread across job classifications.
“Workers are asking for pretty significant raises, given the concessions that they made over the course of the pandemic,” she said. “So they are asking for a lot, but they also gave up a lot. And they want to get back there. … They want to see that sacrifice be acknowledged and respected in the form of some raises, which they earned.”
In addition to wage increases, employees are seeking retirement security, technology protections and other gains, according to the Detroit Casino Council.
The Detroit Casino Council includes the UAW, Unite Here Local 24, Teamsters Local 1038, Operating Engineers Local 324 and the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and represents the workers. The contracts between the unions and the casinos expired at midnight Monday. Negotiations continued through 3:30 a.m. Tuesday and resumed at 11:10 a.m. that day with no movement, union leaders said. Workers walked off the job at noon Tuesday.
Officials with the three casinos have each said they are committed to reaching fair contracts. None of the casinos responded to questions Wednesday regarding the unions and casino leadership being "dollars apart" on wage.
Earlier this week, Matt Buckley, president and chief operating officer of MGM Resorts Midwest Group, said the casino has made six proposals to the union and that the current offer includes “the single largest pay increase in the history of MGM Grand Detroit.”
Officials with the casinos have said their properties will remain open and operational. They each acknowledged varying levels of disruption on Wednesday.
MGM Grand Detroit posted on its web site Wednesday: “We intend to continue to operate our business during this time and will remain open this week and beyond. We are making every effort to ensure that our guests are not inconvenienced by this matter.”
The site states that MGM Grand Detroit’s gaming operations will remain open 24/7 as well as the hotel.
“There will be no impact to MGM Rewards offers including FREEPLAY® and FreeBet offers,” the site notes. “Additionally, at this time, there is no change to any upcoming promotions or giveaways. National Coney Island will be open daily from 8 a.m.–4 a.m. Sports betting kiosks are available across the casino floor. Along with self-service beverage stations, beverage carts are available throughout the casino floor. Casino and Hotel valet is currently closed, while self-parking remains open and is complimentary to the public.”
In a property update Wednesday, MotorCity Casino Hotel said its poker room, casino valet, spa and gift shop were temporarily closed.
The high limit slots would be open 24 hours, while the high limit table games were temporarily closed. Slots were open on the second floor and the first floor slots were temporarily closed. Table Games would be open on the second floor from 10 a.m.-2 a.m. The site lists several restaurants and bars open at the casino and the hours, while noting that other dining options are temporarily closed.
Hollywood Casino at Greektown posted on its website Wednesday that the casino will remain open 24/7. Valet services were temporarily closed.
The casino stated on its site: "Although our restaurant hours may be limited, our restaurant partners will continue to operate." The site provides a list of its external dining partners.
It also noted: "Although beverage service may be impacted, Self-Serve Beverage Stations will continue to remain open and Trappers Bar will be open daily noon-2am."
