Striking casino workers ask Detroit City Council for picket line safety
DETROIT, Mich. (FOX 2) - Casino workers are asking the Detroit City Council for protection while picketing against the city's three gaming centers.
On Tuesday, the "Detroit Strikers Bill of Rights" was introduced by casino protestors, urging the city council to protect their health and safety as days grow darker and colder temperatures settle in.
"We will stand, we will fight, and we ask for your support for the Detroit Strikers Bill of Rights," one casino striker told the Detroit City Council.
The strike against MGM Grand Detroit, MotorCity Casino, and Hollywood Casino at Greektown is moving into its fourth week as dealers, cleaning staff, food and beverage workers, valets, engineers and others negotiate a better contract. Represented by five different unions, 3,700 Detroit Casino Council members are fighting for healthcare, better wages, job security, and fair workloads.
"My primary issue is for us to be allowed to have the resources we need to stay warm in this Michigan weather," Lennell Parker, an MGM worker, said.
Conditions on the picket line are proving to be dangerous. Workers highlighted that casinos are placing barriers on public sidewalks, forcing them into the streets.
"I'm afraid of getting hit by a car. One of my coworkers was already hit," Jamil Johnson said; he has been a server at MGM for 16 years.
Another worker who has been at MotorCity Casino for 23 years, Anthony, warned city council members of other hazards strikers are facing.
"Last week when we were on the picket line, I saw two company security trucks running on both sides of the entrance – to the garages – facing backwards, with the exhaust facing the picketers," he said. "It got so bad that we struggled to breathe even though we were outside. When I approached security, I identified myself and asked who told them to do this. They said it was MotorCity management."
MotorCity Casino did not respond to FOX 2 for comment regarding this claim.
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With cold weather settling in, the elements represent another challenge for the thousands of custodians, card dealers, and service staff striking for a better contract.
In October, the Detroit City Council unanimously approved a resolution supporting the picketing workers. After the Tuesday public meeting, the council said it would also support the Detroit Strikers Bill of Rights.
"It's making us stronger and stronger," Terri Smith, a dealer at Hollywood Casino, said. "We're standing in solidarity, and we're willing to stay out as long as it takes to get what we deserve."