LANSING, Mich. (WXYZ) — On Tuesday, around 300 casino workers took their fight on the picket line to Lansing to meet with state lawmakers.
According to the Detroit Casino Council, about 3,700 workers are on strike at Detroit's three casinos. The strike is on the start of its third week.
“We’re talking to the lawmakers to get their support throughout the strike, and we need that support," Terri Sykes, the president of UAW Local 7777 and Motor City Casino employee, said.
Workers said their immediate fight for a fair contract with Detroit’s casinos is interconnected with legislation currently before state legislators.
The casino workers are pushing to repeal a bill they say prevents Detroit from raising the minimum wage.
“When you think in terms of raising the minimum wage, you see, everybody deserves more money," Lennell Parker, an employee at MGM Grand Casino, told 7 Action News.
This is the second legislative body casino workers have visited since the start of the strike. Last week, they packed Detroit City Council chambers. Council members unanimously voted to support the strike by passing a resolution.
Sykes, a 24-year employee at Motor City Casino, said workers took concessions during COVID-19. Now, after casinos made record profits, she said the casinos aren’t offering what amounts to a livable wage in today’s economy.
“To me and my negotiating team, the company is actually thinking like they giving us a raise. However, they’re offsetting that raise with raising our health insurance premiums," Sykes explained.
Parker said, “These casinos came here years ago, (and) they made a promise. They made a commitment. They said they’d bring good, high-quality paying jobs — jobs that we could support our families, jobs that we could hold our head up and have dignity about. All we’re asking is that they keep their word.”
7 Action News reached out to all three casinos for comment Tuesday.
So far, Hollywood Casino at Greektown responded:
“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. We will remain open for business to serve our customers and are committed to continued good-faith bargaining with the Detroit Casino Council to resolve the issues at hand as soon as possible.”
