Casino workers with MGM Grand Detroit ratify deal, ending 47-day strike

DETROIT– MGM Grand Detroit casino workers have voted to ratify a new contract, ending a 47-day strike.

MGM Grand Detroit employees are union members of the Detroit Casino Council, which represents nearly 4,000 employees at the city's three casinos. Their approval Saturday of a five-year deal comes weeks after union workers reached an agreement with two other casinos following a roughly month-long strike.

Workers at MGM Grand Detroit, Hollywood Casino in Greektown and MotorCity Casino walked off the job on Oct. 17 due to issues such as health care and wages not keeping up with the cost of living.

The new agreement, which covers approximately 1,700 employees, includes an average immediate pay increase of 18%, a reduction in workload and no increase in health care costs for employees, according to the council. Union employees include dealers, cleaning staff and clerks.

“We have sacrificed a lot during the pandemic, but we fought for and ultimately won a contract that secures our health care and provides significantly better wages,” Gabriel Robert Hernandez, a clerk at MGM Grand Detroit and a member of Teamsters Local 1038, said Saturday. rack.

MGM executives said the measure means normal operations will resume.

“We are excited to welcome back our team and continue to provide our guests with the entertainment experiences for which MGM Grand Detroit is known,” Matt Buckley, president and COO of Midwest Group, MGM Resorts International, said in a statement Saturday.