MotorCity Casino Hotel
Hotel · Detroit
2901 Grand River Ave, Detroit, MI 48201
Highlights
Slick hotel with casino, restaurants, spa, and live entertainment.
Slick hotel with casino, restaurants, spa, and live entertainment.
"Workers at this casino joined colleagues in approving a contract on November 19 as part of a combined group of about 2,100 employees who ratified deals that day. These actions were organized under the Detroit Casino Council, which represents 3,700 casino workers across five unions." - Serena Maria Daniels
"Union members at this casino voted to ratify the same five-year contract and will be returning to work after 34 days of striking. The deal—part of a broader tentative agreement reached by the Detroit Casino Council—includes an immediate $3-per-hour bump (roughly an 18% average raise in year one), $5-per-hour total raises over the contract term, no employee health-care cost increases, workload reductions, job-security and technology language aligned with other markets, retirement increases, and additional benefits." - Serena Maria Daniels
"During the same dispute I noted picket lines outside MotorCity Casino Hotel as workers continued striking for what unions called the largest wage increase in the city's casino-industry history; the properties reported temporary closures and lost revenue even as they remained open. The proposed settlement being reviewed by the Detroit Casino Council would deliver an average 18% immediate raise, no health-care cost increases for employees, workload reductions, job-security and technology language, retirement increases, and more. Bruce Dall, president of MotorCity Casino Hotel, said he was thrilled a tentative agreement had been reached and expressed pride in providing exceptional jobs and benefits while looking forward to ratification." - Serena Maria Daniels
"I heard that Motor City Casino opened a temporary location in 1999 and was among the first casinos to create thousands of union-protected jobs; employees like Ulysses Bryant—who started there in 2009 as a barback and bartender—say wages haven’t kept pace with inflation and now require him to work 60–70 hours a week. Bryant told me he contracted COVID on the job three times, received no pay while quarantined, had to work overtime to make up lost time, and has been left financially strained by the lack of compensation and staffing shortages." - Serena Maria Daniels
"Staff at this Detroit casino were part of a coordinated strike and noon picket to demand better pay, stronger healthcare and retirement protections, contractual safeguards against job impacts from new technologies, and relief from the heavier workloads created by post-pandemic staffing cuts. Union negotiators — led by UNITE HERE Local 24 with support from the UAW, Teamsters, Operating Engineers and Carpenters — say talks broke down after more than 160 hours of bargaining and point to record industry revenues alongside declining union wage totals as a core grievance. The casino’s management has said the venue will remain open, that meaningful progress has been made in talks, and that it remains committed to bargaining toward a fair contract while keeping the business competitive." - Serena Maria Daniels
