Union Employees Cast Votes to Approve New Contract, End Strike at MGM Grand Detroit
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The new contract approved by the Detroit Casino Council last week was overwhelmingly ratified by union employees at the MGM Grand Detroit on December 2.
After 47 days of picketing, the MGM Grand Detroit workers’ strike officially comes to an end with the outcome of the vote.
1,700 union workers will be covered by a new five-year contract, which puts an end to the collective strike by casino workers, which started on October 17 and included employees of MotorCity Casino and Hollywood Casino at Greektown. On November 19, Hollywood Casino in Greektown and MotorCity Casino reached tentative five-year deals and the employees left the strike.
What is Covered by the MGM Grand Detroit Agreement?
The highest salary increases for MGM Grand Detroit employees have ever been included in the five-year deal.
Employees get a $3 hourly rise upon complete ratification of the deal, which will increase to $5 hourly over the term of the agreement.
Some of the contract’s highlights are:
- 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 for 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;
- Option for a one-time incentive in the second year of the contract, up to a $1,000 employer match;
- Paid holiday on Juneteenth.
With the exception of the bonus option in the second year, the contract that the workers of MGM Grand Detroit negotiated isn’t much that different from the one they rejected a few weeks ago.
