Casinos Next? 99% of Detroit casino workers vote to authorize strike

[Lowell]

The call for strikes could come as soon as mid-October, when contracts expire.

"Workers at Detroit’s three casinos on Friday overwhelmingly voted to approve a strike of their own.

"According to the Detroit Casino Council, workers from the city’s three casinos — MGM Grand Detroit, Hollywood at Greektown, and MotorCity — voted 99% to authorize a strike if deemed necessary by the worker negotiating committee.
Workers cast their ballots at Teamsters Hall from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday. The Detroit Casino Council announced the results at 9:40 p.m.

"The workers have been negotiating since early September, demanding living wages, better retirement benefits, and protections for workers impacted by new technology. This is after Detroit casino workers sacrificed raises and took on more work amid the COVID-19 pandemic to help the industry recover, they say."

Full Article from MetroTimes here >>

[Richard]

Seems like every day you read the news there is another strike.

Define living wage ? National average is $16 per hour and it varies on location,how many are in the family,how many incomes in the family.

So what are they going to do in order to determine a living wage?

Set every individual down and set a different pay scale ?

A living wage for a single person renting an apartment is different then a 2 income house hold that is dual income with kids.

A living wage in Detroit is different then a living wage in Las Angles,and how does one define what they deserve as a living wage? And for what services provided to the employer ?

Where is the incentive if I can make the same amount of money walking around picking up pull tabs off of the floor verse a supervisor level.

I have a friend that works at a casino,she started working there after high school and is now 35,she sews name tags on new hire employee uniforms and never has enough money.

I asked her how come she keeps passing up promotion opportunities she said the job is easy and no stress,she wants to make more money but she does not want to apply the effort that it takes.

My employees are always saying they need to make more money,they are all driving brand new luxury cars,with some it does not matter how much they make it will never be enough.

We see that cycle of where employees are replaced by technology the remaining workers expect a higher wage,I find it hard to wrap my head around that one,you are still doing the same job you were doing before but yet expect more pay because technology replaced other workers?

You could be the one that has no job because technology replace yours.

That’s the socialists trying to implement UBI systematically over time.

Unions played hard ball with the casinos in Atlantic City,so they shut them all down,14,000 workers had to move to move to another state to find another job.

Not to go off casino topic but Kaiser workers are also on strike 75,000

Kaiser got its start making automobiles at Willow Run but they were also involved in mining and health care.

They built entire city’s with like 15-20,000 people around their chemical mines.

Not making cars anymore but kinda cool that they still exist 100 years later after that first line at Willow Run.

Its an example of how companies evolve after shedding their main objective,steel mills bought cigarette companies then cereal companies.

The moral of that story is the company will survive in another form or shape,it does not need the current workforce in order to exist or survive.

As a corporation any one of those manufacturers could shut down their automotive divisions tomorrow and still exist as a corporation in another form without the legacy costs or obligations,they do not exist to build cars,as a corporation they exist to provide a return to the shareholders,the cars are what they are using to provide that return but not a requirement.

Pan Am has not flown a airline in decades but as a corporation they still generate revenue at a higher profit then when they were an actual airliner,without employees or very few.

[Danny]

When Trump and MAGA Party are away, the socialist strikers will play.

[Hypestyles]

we'll see how it goes. the casinos bring in quite a bit of revenue for the city of Detroit.

[Henry Whalley]

When Trump and MAGA Party are away, the socialist strikers will play.

Are you opposed to workers earning a decent wage? I doubt that you're one of the rich and famous living the lifestyle of a Saudi Prince. My guess is that you're just another peon with false consciousness.

[Rocket]

we'll see how it goes. the casinos bring in quite a bit of revenue for the city of Detroit.

For most cities, casinos are a net negative.

When you count the extra poverty caused by casinos, the loss in business elsewhere, more rents falling behind etc, the city and the state usually come out behind. It only works out for the positive when you have a lot of out of town people flying in and dropping cash, like happens in Vegas.

The argument for building them here was that Windsor built one, and we wanted to stem the flow of Michigan Dollars to Canada.

I wonder now if we shouldn't shut them down for good as it's no longer as convenient to cross the border?

[401don]

For most cities, casinos are a net negative.

When you count the extra poverty caused by casinos, the loss in business elsewhere, more rents falling behind etc, the city and the state usually come out behind. It only works out for the positive when you have a lot of out of town people flying in and dropping cash, like happens in Vegas.

The argument for building them here was that Windsor built one, and we wanted to stem the flow of Michigan Dollars to Canada.

I wonder now if we shouldn't shut them down for good as it's no longer as convenient to cross the border?

Cat's way too out of the bag for that. Online sports gaming, casinos in other parts of Mich., Toledo, 25 dollar scratch tickets, etc. I would be more concerned about people gambling on their phones than heading to the casino.

[Gistok]

For most cities, casinos are a net negative.

When you count the extra poverty caused by casinos, the loss in business elsewhere, more rents falling behind etc, the city and the state usually come out behind. It only works out for the positive when you have a lot of out of town people flying in and dropping cash, like happens in Vegas.

The argument for building them here was that Windsor built one, and we wanted to stem the flow of Michigan Dollars to Canada.

I wonder now if we shouldn't shut them down for good as it's no longer as convenient to cross the border?

Let's look at the facts....

Tourism in metropolitan Detroit, Michigan is a significant factor for the region's culture and for its economy, comprising nine percent of the area's two million jobs. About 19 million people visit Metro Detroit spending an estimated 6 billion in 2019.

The 3 Detroit casinos CANNOT be shut down by any other means than by a state wide referendum. The state legislature cannot decide to close them otherwise.

Also most visitors to the casinos here are NOT from Detroit.

[softailrider]

Let's look at the facts....

Tourism in metropolitan Detroit, Michigan is a significant factor for the region's culture and for its economy, comprising nine percent of the area's two million jobs. About 19 million people visit Metro Detroit spending an estimated 6 billion in 2019.

The 3 Detroit casinos CANNOT be shut down by any other means than by a state wide referendum. The state legislature cannot decide to close them otherwise.

Also most visitors to the casinos here are NOT from Detroit.

I don’t have any info to back myself up but I absolutely do not think that last sentence is true. I think most casino visitors in Detroit are overwhelmingly from around this area, not from out of state which is what I think you meant.

[Gistok]

I don’t have any info to back myself up but I absolutely do not think that last sentence is true. I think most casino visitors in Detroit are overwhelmingly from around this area, not from out of state which is what I think you meant.

No I meant city of Detroit...

[Jimaz]

... Also most visitors to the casinos here are NOT from Detroit.

That would be an interesting statistic.

I'm trying to think how that could be verified. I know casinos love to track their patrons {to lure them back with comps} but I think they're more interested in how much they spend than where they live.

Employee residency might be easier to track.

[Gistok]

That would be an interesting statistic.

I'm trying to think how that could be verified. I know casinos love to track their patrons {to lure them back with comps} but I think they're more interested in how much they spend than where they live.

Employee residency might be easier to track.

Most Detroit casino patrons are white.

[Jimaz]

How a casino workers strike could impact Detroit

Detroit casino workers have overwhelmingly voted in favor of authorizing a strike. Negotiations are underway between the Detroit Casino Council and the three Detroit casinos, MGM Grand Detroit, Hollywood at Greektown, and Motor City.

On the coattails of the pandemic, the Detroit Casino Council says its workers sacrificed raises and heavier workloads to keep doors open....

"Unfortunately, every time we have an event like COVID or like the strikes, especially if the strikes last a longer time, businesses are taking a hit, and for a city like Detroit, recovering from a hit is much harder than if this were New York or San Francisco," says [Wayne State University economics professor Shooshan] Danagoulian....

The deadline for a contract to be agreed upon is Oct. 16, 2023....

[Richard]

"The blockade is having a significant impact on Michigan's working families who are just trying to do their jobs. Our communities and automotive, manufacturing and agriculture businesses are feeling the effects. It's hitting paychecks and production lines. That is unacceptable," she said on Twitter.

O Wait,sorry my bad that was unacceptable with a truckers strike,but okay with a Union strike.

I guess one type of people are allowed to strike in order to make a living,while another type is not.

The auto strike cost the economy and manufacturers over $5.6 billion ,now add 33,000 Michigan workers on strike,providing there is not another recession that still will take 2 years to recover economically.

[Hypestyles]

I wonder would Mayor Duggan attempt to intervene..? Hmm..

[mkd]

Most Detroit casino patrons are white.

Unless you're talking about the Belle Isle Casino, I've observed it much differently than you.

[Zacha341]

^ Yep. That's what I observed as a 'former' gambler.

Motor City Casino especially high percentage black at the 'slot-machine' level.

[Honky Tonk]

^ Yep. That's what I observed as a 'former' gambler.

Motor City Casino especially high percentage black at the 'slot-machine' level.

Well, well, look who came out of retirement.

[Zacha341]

^ Hah! Working on it [retiring that is].

Busy times have taken me in other directions time-wise from active posting...... but I've observed DetYes as I can.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

Everybody is striking, Nurses, Hospital staff, Auto Workers, Actors, Writers, etc...People are tired of the same old narrative that the CEO's and other higher ups get the whole cake, and the employees who make these companies go, get the crumbs.

[Jimaz]

Everybody is striking, Nurses, Hospital staff, Auto Workers, Actors, Writers, etc...People are tired of the same old narrative that the CEO's and other higher ups get the whole cake, and the employees who make these companies go, get the crumbs.

The lesson is not why so many are striking suddenly but rather why so few have been striking until now.

The more carefully houses of cards are constructed, the more dramatically they collapse.

Wealth Inequality in America

[Richard]

Everybody is striking, Nurses, Hospital staff, Auto Workers, Actors, Writers, etc...People are tired of the same old narrative that the CEO's and other higher ups get the whole cake, and the employees who make these companies go, get the crumbs.

actually that is attempting to force socialism.

What an employee gets paid per hour bears zero relevance on what a CEO makes or corporation profits.

Did not like the wage offered,do not take the job.

Do not like CEOs do not become a worker become a CEO.

[Gistok]

^ Yep. That's what I observed as a 'former' gambler.

Motor City Casino especially high percentage black at the 'slot-machine' level.

I got my info from a friend who is a MotorCity blackjack dealer... well that explains the discrepancy...

I too was wondering where you were...

[Richard]

Is it even PC correct anymore to call it blackjack?

[softailrider]

Unless you're talking about the Belle Isle Casino, I've observed it much differently than you.

I agree with you. I think the crowd is about 50-50.