DETROIT (WXYZ) — At noon on Tuesday, for the first time in Detroit history, casino union employees walked out of work to strike.
Bartender at MotorCity Casino Hotel & Union Steward, Allison Grubba, said, "It’s amazing, to be able to have the power to what we think is right and what we think we deserve."
Grubba was among the flood of workers who walked out at MotorCity Tuesday and told us to her knowledge, there were little to no casino employees left inside.
"There is a small percentage of hourly workers that are not a part of the unions," said Grubba.
We went inside MotorCity ourselves to see how operations were still running. There were some empty tables and no food to be seen but outside of that, it seemed to be business as usual, surprising as the 3,700 union workers who walked out include casino engineers, chefs, dealers, valets and barbacks like Ulyssis Bryant who spoke with us.
"We just want respect," said Bryant. "Respect more than anything else and until we get it, this is where we are. It was not our intention to strike, but we’re doing what we need to do to get the respect."
Union members told 7 Action News Tuesday that they are "miles apart" from the casinos in contract negotiations and nowhere close to a deal.
Hollywood Casino at Greektown released the following statement:
We understand you may have questions, and we wanted to keep you informed of some important changes that you may experience at Hollywood Casino at Greektown.
Our Casino remains open 24/7, providing nonstop slot and table games action. While you are visiting, certain services may be limited:
Our Valet Services are temporarily closed; however, Self-Parking Garages continue to remain open 24/7, and Parking is always free for our Loyalty Members.
All PENN Slot Play and Table Play offers will continue to be honored at your favorite slot machine or table game.
Beverage service may be impacted, Self-Serve Beverage Stations will continue to remain open and Trappers Bar will be open daily noon – 2am.
Although our restaurant hours may be limited, our restaurant partners will continue to operate. In order to redeem any PENN Cash for dining comps, or to redeem any food offers that were sent as a part of your monthly mailer, swipe your PENN Play card at a promotional kiosk. All dining vouchers can be redeemed at any of our internal and external partner restaurants. For a complete list of dining partners click below.
DINING PARTNERS >
We thank you for your loyalty, and we look forward to continuing to provide you with an exciting and enjoyable experience."
– Hollywood Casino at Greektown
MGM Grand Detroit released this statement:
Team,
Our contract with the Detroit Casino Council, originally scheduled to expire last night at midnight, was temporarily extended to noon today. We continue to have meaningful discussions with the union, but we’ve not been able to reach a final agreement to date.
Our understanding is that the union has made the decision to call a strike beginning today at noon if an agreement is not reached. We intend to continue to operate our business during any potential strike and will remain open this week and beyond. We will continue to offer employees work, and to the extent employees represented by the union choose to participate in the strike, we will take whatever lawful action is necessary to fill shifts and continue providing our customers with entertainment and service.
Although employees represented by the union have the right both to strike and to picket, no one can prevent you from coming to work, threaten you with violence, or interfere with you when you arrive and depart from the property. If you are the target of any such conduct, please report it to Security or Human Resources immediately.
Regarding the status of our negotiations, 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. It is a significant proposal. We will continue to negotiate with the union to reach an agreement that is good for all parties. The reality is that no one wins in a strike. A strike hurts everyone – from employees and businesses to the community and the economy. We’re working hard to prevent that outcome.
Thank you for all you do to make MGM Grand Detroit a success.
Sincerely,
Matt Buckley
President & COO
Midwest Group
A MotorCity Casino Hotel Spokesperson has released this statement:
While significant progress has been made, we have not yet reached an agreement with the Detroit Casino Council. We remain committed to bargaining in good faith and achieving a contract that is fair to our employees and allows our company to remain competitive in our industry. As we work to resolve the open issues, we will remain open to serve our guests. Please visit www.motorcitycasino.com [motorcitycasino.com] for details on visiting MotorCity Casino Hotel.
