DETROIT (Michigan News Source) – Another Michigan industry is set to strike, as contracts for some Detroit casino workers are set to expire at noon on Tuesday.
The Detroit Casino Council, which represents nearly 4,000 workers, voted Friday to strike unless a new agreement is reached. The Council said 99% of voting casino workers voted to authorize the strike.
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“The casino companies are making more than their fair share. But we’re not making ours,” said Terri Sykes, a casino dealer at MotorCity. “The message our members are sending to these companies is that the casino workers at MGM Grand, MorotCity, and Hollywood at Greektown are ready to stand together and fight for what we deserve.”
According to a press release, the strike comes as workers renegotiate the three-year contract extension they accepted during COVID. The Council says the previous contract was intended to help casinos get back on their feet after profit losses during the pandemic. Now, industry gaming revenues have hit a new record high, surpassing pre-COVID levels. The Council says it’s time for a new contract that would “bring Detroit casino jobs back in line with the standard of good jobs that were promised to hospitality workers.”
“Costs keep going up, but when profits came back to the gaming industry, they didn’t go into workers’ pockets,” said Nia Winston, vice president of the Unite Here hospitality workers union. “We expect the casinos to heed our concerns to avoid a strike.”
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