Detroit Casinos Reduce Services Amid Ongoing Worker Strike – Update
MotorCity Casino and other gaming venues in Detroit were compelled to cease certain services following a strike by thousands of casino workers on Tuesday. Currently, MotorCity has suspended operation of slot machines on the ground floor, high-limit table games, and its poker room.
Additionally, several other services are temporarily out of commission at the location. The FanDuel Sportsbook is now closed, as are in-person wagers and kiosks. Only a cashier is present at a counter for sportsbook players seeking to cash out tickets. Furthermore, a few restaurants, bars, and the valet area are also unavailable for the time being.
Two other casinos in the vicinity have been impacted as well. MGM Grand Detroit's casino and hotel valet is temporarily offline due to the work stoppage. Hollywood Casino at Greektown has shut down its valet and restaurants, with limited bar service also in effect.
With a workforce of 3,700 employees, MotorCity depends on the Detroit Casino Council (DCC), which is representative of these workers. On Tuesday, these union members began their strike at noon.
Casino Executives Respond to Strike
Executives from the casinos have stated they made generous offers to the employees.
Hollywood Casino released a statement to CNBC, expressing their dissatisfaction with the actions of the DCC: "We are disappointed by the decision of the Detroit Casino Council, as we have made generous, progressive settlement offers that position our team members and business for sustainable success."
Matt Buckley, President and COO of MGM's Midwest Group, spoke regarding the situation with CNBC. He mentioned, "We've made six proposals to the union, and our current offer includes the single largest pay increase in the history of MGM Grand Detroit."
Employees Justify Their Decision to Strike
Workers, however, have defended their actions.
Susan Gallagher, a bartender at Hollywood Casino at Greektown, shared her thoughts with CBS News: "We're not asking for a lot. We're asking for one job to be enough. Some of these team members need two and three jobs just to survive."
Milledge McCaster, an engineer at Hollywood Casino at Greektown, echoed her sentiments: "These are good people that sacrificed a lot through the pandemic. We're just looking for a fair contract."
Johanna Lams, a table games dealer at MGM Grand Detroit and a local UAW chairperson, spoke to the Detroit Free Press: "You've got people here working at MGM who don't even make enough to have apartments. They are sleeping in their cars." When discussing wages in the context of inflation, she added, "When you start talking about pay rate, you've got to at least be close, and we're not right now."
Union Background
Since September, negotiations between the DCC and the casinos have been ongoing in an attempt to establish a new contract. Recently, workers voted overwhelmingly to approve the strike.
The DCC is made up of Unite Here Local 24, the UAW, Teamsters Local 1038, Operating Engineers Local 324, and the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters. Additionally, over 34,000 United Auto Workers members nationally are part of this strike.
The Culinary and Bartenders Union in Las Vegas disclosed that 95% of their workers authorized a strike if contract negotiations with the casino operators fail to produce a new agreement.
Union members picketed key locations on the Las Vegas Strip last week.
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Source: www.casino.org
