$4,200 signing Bonus is included in Proposed Casino Contract

The Detroit Casino Council and Detroit’s three casinos which include Greektown Casino, MotorCity and MGM Grand Detroit reached a labor deal late in the day Sunday.  The deal was for a 5 year contract that will deliver wage increases as well as $4,200.00 signing bonus.

This bonus is in fact larger than the bonuses that were received by Detroit’s Casino Worker in prior years. This proposed contract would cover approximately 6,000 workers, which will maintain the current HAP-Blue Cross health plan that will have no additional cost.  If this agreement is ratified it would also provide workers with a 2% wage increase in the 4th year of the contract as well as a 3% raise within the 5th year of the contract.

Other Pro’s for the workers include:

• An additional personal/sick day for workers who are part time after they have reached five years of employment.
• Improvements to workers who are part time scheduling as well as seniority issues
  The continued protections on sub-contracting
• Improvements to worker classifications

Among the key issues that were negotiated during the final negotiation were Health care, wage increases, and bonuses.  Disagreements on how to pay for the ever increasing cost of health care was in fact the most difficult issue that was faced at the table.  They expect that the health care cost among four casino will go from 46 million dollars to 262 million dollars over the course of the next four years.

The Detroit Casino Council as well as a consortium of 4 unions reached this tentative agreement after long negotiations that ultimately began on Tuesday and continued for the following six days.  This proposed contract will still need the approval of the workers in a ratification vote.  This vote will take place during this week.