Unions OK contract agreement with MGM Grand Detroit Casino

The five-year agreement covering 1,700 employees includes the largest wage increases ever for MGM Grand Detroit workers

By Ken Coleman, Michigan Advance

Dec 4, 2023 at 9:51 am

Image: Striking Detroit casino workers outside of MGM Grand Detroit Casino on Oct. 17, 2023.

Striking Detroit casino workers outside of MGM Grand Detroit Casino on Oct. 17, 2023. Ken Coleman, Michigan Advance

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Union members voted on Saturday to ratify a new contract with MGM Grand Detroit, ending a 47-day strike.

“I am happy to announce that MGM employees ratified their contract tonight. I am impressed by how all the unions and members worked together to win an excellent contract. I’m looking forward to going back to work,” said Patrick Nichols, a dealer at MGM Grand Detroit and member of UAW Local 7777.

The five-year agreement covering 1,700 employees includes the largest wage increases ever for MGM Grand Detroit workers (including an immediate 18% pay raise on average), a bonus, no health care cost increases for employees, workload reductions and other job protections, first-ever technology contract language, and more, the Detroit Casino Council (DCC) points out in its written statement.

The DCC is made up of members from UNITE HERE Local 24, UAW Local 7777, Teamsters Local 1038, Operating Engineers Local 324, and the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters.

Matt Buckley, President and COO of Midwest Group, MGM Resorts International, welcomed contract ratification.

“We’re excited to welcome our team back and continue providing our guests the entertainment experiences for which MGM Grand Detroit is known,” Buckley said.

After a month-long strike by unionized workers at MGM Grand Detroit, Motor City Casino, and Hollywood Casino at Greektown, the Detroit Casino Council that represents about 3,700 reached a contract agreement. Motor City Casino and Hollywood Casino at Greektown workers ratified their contract on Nov. 19.

“Since welcoming my son into the world, securing my family’s health care benefits was the most important thing to me,” said Gabriel Robert Hernandez, a valet at MGM Grand Detroit and member of Teamsters Local 1038. “We sacrificed a lot during the pandemic, but we fought for and ultimately won a contract that secures our health care and provides significantly improved wages.”

Among other highlights, the new contract includes a paid Juneteenth holiday.

Originally published by Michigan Advance. It is republished with permission.

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About The Author

Ken Coleman, Michigan Advance

Ken Coleman writes about Southeast Michigan, history and civil rights. He is a former Michigan Chronicle senior editor and served as the American Black Journal segment host on Detroit Public Television. He has written and published four books on Black life in Detroit.