While casino workers at MotorCity Casino and Hollywood Casino Greektown ratified contracts last week to end their monthlong strike, unionized MGM Grand Casino employees remain on the picket line.
A tentative deal was announced on Nov. 17, with workers from all three Detroit casinos seemingly poised to agree to the proposed contract. An MGM executive even shared a positive, forward-looking quote prior to official ratification vote.
“We’re pleased to have reached a tentative agreement with the [Detroit Casino Council] on a new contract that ends the strike while giving a historic pay increase to our DCC-represented employees,” Matt Buckley, president and COO, Midwest Group, MGM Resorts International, said in a statement.
Instead, MGM Grand Casino workers rejected the proposed contract. It included a $3 per hour wage increase, which the DCC dubbed as the largest ever negotiated in the history of Detroit’s casino industry.
What’s next?
While workers at MotorCity Casino and Hollywood Casino Greektown have returned to work, MGM Grand continues to seek a deal with its striking employees
“This is a very disappointing result, especially considering the historic nature of our offer and the fact that it would immediately and positively benefit our DCC-represented MGM Grand employees and their families,” Buckley told local media in a statement.
Buckley was particularly disappointed at the rejection, considering that striking workers at the other two Detroit casinos agreed to the proposed contract.
“All employees were voting on the exact same contract, which the DCC itself said was ‘a historic investment in Detroit’s future’ and ‘fulfills the gaming industry’s promise to Detroit of high-paying casino jobs with good benefits,’” Buckley said.
The two sides are expected to continue discussions, although no timeline for a possible deal has been shared. The strike made a noticeable impact to brick-and-mortar revenue at the three casinos, and workers had called for a boycott of casinos apps before the proposed deal was announced.
Photo: Getty Images
