Union workers at MGM Grand Detroit, the largest casino, ratified an agreement with the casino on Saturday, ending a 47-day strike.
The five unions of the Detroit Casino Council (DCC) – UNITE HERE Local 24, UAW Local 7777, Teamsters Local 1038, Operating Engineers Local 324, and the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters – voted overwhelmingly to approve the proposal, according to the DCC.
The agreement will span five years and covers 1,700 employees at the casino.
It comes after MGM workers voted down a tentative agreement that was reached in November. Workers at MotorCity Casino and Hollywood Casino at Greektown approved the original proposal.
According to the DCC, the agreement includes the largest wage increases ever – an immediate 18% pay raise on average – a bonus, no health care cost increases, workload reductions and more. Workers will get an immediate $3 per hour raise.
"Since welcoming my son into the world, securing my family's health care benefits was the most important thing to me,” said Gabriel Robert Hernandez, a valet at MGM Grand Detroit and member of Teamsters Local 1038. “We sacrificed a lot during the pandemic, but we fought for and ultimately won a contract that secures our health care and provides significantly improved wages.”
“Both my son and I have been on strike together, so for me the fight to protect our healthcare and win better wages was always about something bigger for my family and the next generation,” said Alicia Weaver, a guest room attendant for 24 years at MGM Grand Detroit and member of UNITE HERE Local 24. “Together – with the rest of our MGM family who stood with us on that picket line in the rain and frigid temperatures – we made history, and I’m proud of what we accomplished by taking a stand together.”
“I am happy to announce that MGM employees ratified their contract tonight. I am impressed by how all the unions and members worked together to win an excellent contract. I’m looking forward to going back to work,” said Patrick Nichols, a dealer at MGM Grand Detroit and member of UAW Local 7777.
Detroit casino workers went on the first-ever strike on Oct. 17.
The settlement with MGM Grand Detroit follows outstanding agreements already reached with Hollywood Casino at Greektown and MotorCity Casino, whose unionized employees ratified new contracts on Nov. 19 after 34 days on strike. Casino workers at all three Detroit casino properties launched a wall-to-wall strike on Oct. 17 to protect their healthcare and improve wages that had not kept up with the cost of living.
