Sports Betting Update: Detroit Casino Workers Strike, Impacting MotorCity Casino and More
Posted on: October 17, 2023, 07:38h.
Last updated on: October 17, 2023, 07:38h.
The recent strike by thousands of Detroit casino workers has had a significant impact on MotorCity Casino and other gaming properties. As a result, various services have been temporarily shuttered.
The affected services include first-floor slots, high-limit table games, the poker room, and even the FanDuel Sportsbook at MotorCity, which is currently closed. However, a cashier at a designated counter is available for sportsbook players looking to cash in tickets.
MotorCity Casino has also temporarily closed some of its restaurants, bars, and the valet area.
This strike involves a total of 3,700 Detroit casino workers represented by the Detroit Casino Council (DCC) across three gaming properties, including MotorCity Casino.
MGM Grand Detroit is also feeling the effects as its casino and hotel valet are currently closed due to the strike.
Similarly, at Hollywood Casino at Greektown, the valet services have been suspended, while restaurant hours and beverage service may be limited.
Negotiations and Proposals
Casino representatives have made generous proposals in an attempt to resolve the strike.
Hollywood Casino expressed its disappointment in a statement to CNBC, saying, “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.”
Matt Buckley, President and COO of MGM’s Midwest Group, also quoted by CNBC, mentioned, “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.”
Workers’ Perspective
However, workers defend their decision to strike.
“We’re not asking for a lot. We’re asking for one job to be enough. Some of these team members need two and three jobs just to survive,” said Susan Gallagher, a bartender at Hollywood Casino at Greektown, in an interview with CBS News.
Employee sentiments were further echoed by Milledge McCaster, an engineer at Hollywood Casino at Greektown, who stated, “These are good people that sacrificed a lot through the pandemic. We’re just looking for a fair contract,” according to a report by CBS News.
Johanna Lams, a table games dealer at MGM Grand Detroit and a local UAW chairperson, expressed her dissatisfaction, saying, “The company, in my opinion, is not coming back with anything that is even close to fair. When you start talking about inflation and start talking about pay rate, you’ve got to at least be close, and we’re not right now.” She added, “You’ve got people here working at MGM who don’t even make enough to have apartments. They are sleeping in their cars,” according to a report by Detroit Free Press.
The strike relates to the ongoing contract negotiations between the DCC and the casinos since September. The DCC comprises several organizations, including Unite Here Local 24, the UAW, Teamsters Local 1038, Operating Engineers Local 324, and the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters.
In addition to this strike, about 34,000 United Auto Workers members are also on strike in Michigan and other states.
In Las Vegas, the Culinary and Bartenders Union recently announced that 95% of its workers voted to authorize a strike if the contract negotiations fail to produce a new agreement with casino operators.
Last week, union members held an informational picket at several casinos along the Las Vegas Strip.