DETROIT (WWJ) The Detroit Casino Council has announced that workers at the "Big Three" of the city’s casinos have voted 99% “yes” to authorize a strike, if workers deem it necessary during negotiations.
Members from the MGM Grand Detroit, Hollywood at Greektown and MotorCity casinos participated in the vote, “flooding Teamsters Hall…to cast their ballots” between 7 and 9 last night, according to a press release from the UNITE HERE Local 24 Union, which represents some of the casino workers.
Ballots were counted and the results announced at 9:04 p.m. Friday. It's not clear what percent of the total bargaining unit cast a ballot.
The Detroit Casino Council comprises of five unions that represent employees: UNITE HERE Local 24, UAW, Teamsters Local 1038, Operating Engineers Local 324, and the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters.
The press release said that Detroit casino workers agreed to lower wages and “sacrificed raises” to help the industry recover following COVID-19 shutdowns. They also voted yes on a 3-year-contract extension with “minimal wage increases to help employers get back on their feet,” according to UNITE HERE Local 24.
However, as the entertainment industry recovers and even surpasses pre-pandemic levels, “workers are getting left behind,” the union said.
“Just like auto workers, Blue Cross Blue Shield staff, UPS workers, writers, and hotel workers, Detroit casino workers are considering all options available to make sure one job in a Detroit casino is enough to raise a family on,” UNITE HERE Local 24 President, Nia Winston, said in the release.
Workers have been in negotiations since earlier this month. The unions involved say a strike could happen as soon as mid-October when the current contract expires.
The workers include hotel, bar and retail staff.
The parent companies of the casinos MGM Resorts (MGM Grand), Penn Entertainment (Hollywood at Greektown) and Detroit Entertainment LLC (MotorCity Casino) have not issued a response.