Greektown and MotorCity Casino Employees Are Back at Work; MGM Still on Strike
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Detroit casino workers who have been on strike for more than a month will resume work at Hollywood Casino in Greektown and MotorCity Casino.
On November 20, it was reported that DDC had ratified a deal With Hollywood and MotorCity, which meant that the strike had to continue.
After 34 days of picketing around the three Detroit land-based casinos, the 2,100 union employees at the two casinos decided this past weekend to approve a new deal. MGM Grand Detroit employees rejected the deal made by the casino and are still negotiating.
For the striking workers, the month was quite the experience. However, employees expressed their happiness at being back at work after standing up for what they believed was rightfully theirs.
Employees Respond to the New Contract
For the striking employees of Greektown and the MotorCity Casino, it was a joyous occasion. Many of the striking workers had emotional moments as the news leaked.
23-year-old Tavera McCree, a valet cashier at Hollywood Casino near Greektown, said that she was quite emotional. She became quite emotional upon realizing they had reached a consensus.
There were several primary areas of negotiation that the union members had covered under the 64-month new contract.
- An increase of $3 per hour to begin with, increasing to $5 per hour for the duration of the contract;
- No modifications to the plan or higher health care expenditures for the staff;
- A decrease in the workload of the cleaning staff;
- Safeguards against technological developments, such as the need for training for newly created positions;
- Health care benefits and severance compensation for employees let go by new technological developments;
- Employer match for 401k up to $1,000 in the second year;
- Paid holiday on Juneteenth.
One member of the negotiating group was Susan Gallagher, a bartender at Hollywood Casino Greektown for the past 23 years. Gallagher said that it was terrific to be able to see the preliminary deal. Even more so considering that the previous round of negotiations took place over a whole day.
