Striking Detroit Casino Workers Celebrate Lions Game Day, Telling Customers: “Real Lions Fans Don’t Cross Picket Lines!”
MEDIA ADVISORY for October 30, 2023
Contact: Sheila King, [email protected], 313-899-0552
Striking Detroit Casino Workers Celebrate Lions Game Day, Telling Customers: “Real Lions Fans Don’t Cross Picket Lines!”
WHAT: Striking casino workers tailgating on the picket line and appealing to Detroit sports fans for support
WHEN: Monday, October 30 – 3:00-5:00pm
WHO: Hundreds of striking Detroit casino workers—dealers, cleaning staff, food and beverage workers, valets, engineers and more—who are members of the five unions that comprise the Detroit Casino Council (DCC): UNITE HERE Local 24, United Auto Workers Local 7777, Teamsters Local 1038, Operating Engineers Local 324, and the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters.
WHERE: Picket lines at MGM Grand Detroit (1777 3rd Ave.), Hollywood Casino at Greektown (1211 Chrysler Dr.) and MotorCity (2901 Grand River Ave.)
VISUALS: BBQ tailgating; strikers in Lions’ gear; signs that read “On Strike,” “Don’t Gamble with Our Future,” and “Strike City”
INTERVIEWS: Strikers available for interviews. Please contact to coordinate.
WHY: As sports fans flood into downtown Detroit today for the Lions game, Detroit’s striking casino workers are making a simple request: Please don’t play, eat, drink, meet, or sleep at the MGM Grand Detroit, MotorCity Casino, or Hollywood Casino at Greektown!
On Tuesday, 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 across a broad range of classifications such as dealers, cleaning staff, food and beverage workers, valets, engineers and more. 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.
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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. For more information, visit https://www.detroitcasinocouncil.org.