“Workers were furloughed did not know when they were going to get recalled.” Nia Winston, the President of UNITE HERE Local 24, speaks at an event in Detroit on Oct. “Casinos were shut down I believe twice,” says Winston.

In-person gambling was one of the hardest hit industries during mandatory shutdowns. “The industry was doing extremely well and this was before online gaming.”īut just as it was time for bargaining, the COVID-19 pandemic struck. “We were really looking forward to negotiations in 2020,” Winston says. However, for gaming house employees, it’s been an abnormally long wait to reach a deal that satisfys their demands - as UNITE HERE Local 24 President Nia Winston explains. New union agreements are typically negotiated every few years.

Listen: Casino employees want higher wages and staffing improvements Members signed up for picket line shifts and strike benefits in preparation for a possible walkout over several days last week. Negotiations are being handled by the Detroit Casino Council, which is made up of five unions representing the various casino workers.

Union contracts with MotorCity Casino, MGM Detroit and Hollywood Casino at Greektown are set to expire on Monday at 11:59 p.m.įailure to reach a new agreement could result in a strike after represented members voted 99% in favor of authorizing one last month. We remain committed to bargaining in good faith and achieving a contract that is fair to our employees and allows our company to remain competitive in our industry.” “While significant progress has been made, we have not yet reached an agreement with the Detroit Casino Council.

ET: A spokesperson for MotorCity Casino responded to WDET’s request for comment with the following statement:

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