DETROIT, MI – Striking Detroit casino workers will be picketing at the Hollywood Casino at Greektown this Saturday (11/18) from 7-10 pm ET and invite supporters from the local community and the labor movement to join them as they continue to fight for better wages and working conditions. The picket line will be located at Lafayette between St. Antoine and Beaubien.
On Oct. 17, unionized casino workers at MGM Grand Detroit, MotorCity Casino, and Hollywood Casino at Greektown launched a wall-to-wall strike affecting 3700 casino workers, including dealers, cleaning staff, food and beverage workers, valets, engineers, and more. Workers have been forced on strike to protect their healthcare and improve wages that are not keeping up with the cost of living, along with improved job security and fair workloads. This is the first casino strike in Detroit history.
Detroit’s casino workers sacrificed raises and shouldered heavier workloads so the industry could recover from the pandemic. In September 2020, workers agreed to a three-year contract extension with minimal wage increases to help the industry get back on its feet. Since then, Detroit casino workers have received only 3% raises, but inflation in Detroit has risen 20%. In contrast, industry gaming revenues have now surpassed pre-pandemic levels to reach a new record high. In 2022, the Detroit casino industry generated $2.27 billion in gaming revenue and is on track for another record-breaking year in 2023.
New numbers released by the Michigan Gaming Control Board on Nov. 14 show that revenues for in-person gaming at Detroit’s three casinos were down $20 million in October compared to the same month last year – the lowest month for Detroit casinos since December 2020 when casinos were shut down for most of the month because of COVID restrictions. The Detroit Casino Council estimates that Detroit casino industry in-person gaming revenues from slots, table games, and retail sports betting were down 40% during the 15 days of the strike in October, based on Michigan Gaming Control Board monthly reports from October 2022 and October 2023.
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The Detroit Casino Council (DCC) is UNITE HERE Local 24, the UAW, Teamsters Local 1038, Operating Engineers Local 324, and the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters. These five unions represent most of the workers at the three casinos in Detroit: Hollywood Casino at Greektown, MGM Grand Detroit, and MotorCity Casino. Our members work in food and beverage, housekeeping, retail outlets, slots and table games, engineering and more. The DCC partner unions are part of International Unions that have experience representing gaming workers and winning great contracts throughout the United States, including in Las Vegas and Atlantic City.
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