Detroit casino workers ratify 5-year contract

The Detroit Casino Council, a group of four unions, reached the deal earlier this month with Greektown Casino, MGM Grand Detroit and MotorCity Casino.

According to Joe Daugherty, president of Unite Here Local 24, confirmed that a majority of workers at all three casinos approved the contract. The vote was 95pc in favour at Greektown, 85pc in favour at MotorCity, and 76pc in favour at MGM. Major concerns addressed under the 5-year agreement include health care costs and wage increases.

Casino management informed the unions that funds for raises and bonuses would be able to increase if offset by larger amounts being deducted from paychecks for health care. Under the agreement, the existing health plans will remain unchanged with no premium costs being imposed. In addition, full-time employees will be provided with signing bonuses.

Other clauses in the deal will entitle part-time employees to receive an additional sick day after five years of working for the company. There will be further improvements for part-timers scheduling and seniority issues, as well as continued protections on sub-contracting and improvements to worker classifications.

Sandra Poinsetta, vice president of Unite Here Local 24, said that casino jobs in Detroit “continue to be the best in the gaming industry and the impact of Detroit Casinos continue to be extremely significant to the city of Detroit’s future and will be for years to come.”

Steve Zanella, MGM Grand Detroit President & COO, said: “Together, we crafted an agreement that reflects the priorities identified by union members – maintaining current health-care plans while providing both wage increases and bonuses.”

A spokesperson for Greektown Casino, remarked: “We are pleased to be aligned with our union partners on a labour contract that makes sense for all involved. We can now collectively move forward continuing to build a successful business for the benefit of our team members, out company and our Detroit community.”