Casino workers with MGM Grand Detroit ratify deal, ending 47-day strike — CDC Gaming Reports

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

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

Workers at the MGM Grand Detroit, the Hollywood Casino in Greektown and the Motor City Casino stopped working on Oct. 17 over issues including health care and wages that have not kept up with the cost of living.

The new agreement, which covers about 1,700 employees, includes an immediate pay increase of 18% on average, workload reductions and no increase in employee health care costs, according to the board. Union workers include tradesmen, cleaners, and maids.

“We sacrificed a lot during the pandemic, but we fought back and ultimately won a contract that secures our health care and provides dramatically improved wages,” Gabriel Robert Hernandez, a server at MGM Grand Detroit and a member of Teamsters Local 1038, said Saturday. statement.

MGM executives said the move means normal operations will resume.

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