Inside the newly ratified MGM Grand Detroit casino contract
DETROIT (FOX 2) - Over the weekend, MGM Grand Detroit casino workers ratified a new five-year contract.
This comes after workers with the Detroit Casino Council rejected another proposal earlier this month. Detroit's other two gaming centers, Hollywood Casino at Greektown and Motor City Casino, ratified their contracts at that time.
The casino council said this contract includes the largest wage increase ever negotiated at MGM Grand Detroit. It includes a $3 per hour raise in year one and will total a $5 increase over the life of the contract. Also, there will be the option for a bonus in the first or second year, and MGM will offer 401K matching up to $1,000.
Health care prices will also not increase, and plans will not change.
Other areas of concern addressed in the new contract include reduced workloads in areas that have fewer workers after the pandemic, such as housekeeping, and technology protection. The contract requires that workers are notified when technology is introduced that impacts jobs, require training for new jobs created by technology, and provide health care and severance pay for workers who are laid off because of new technology.
"Both my son and I have been on strike together, so for me the fight to protect our healthcare and win better wages was always about something bigger for my family and the next generation," said Alicia Weaver, a guest room attendant for 24 years at MGM Grand Detroit and member of UNITE HERE Local 24. "Together – with the rest of our MGM family who stood with us on that picket line in the rain and frigid temperatures – we made history, and I’m proud of what we accomplished by taking a stand together."