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MGM workers continue striking in cold weather after voting down tentative agreement

By Camille Amiri and FOX 2 Staff
Published  November 27, 2023 6:04pm EST
Detroit
FOX 2 Detroit

MGM casino workers continue striking despite cold weather

With layers of clothing, hand warmers, foot warmers, generators, fires, and tents – strikers are doing anything they can to stay warm while fighting for a better contract.

DETROIT, Mich. (FOX 2) - MGM Grand Detroit casino workers are continuing their strike in the bitter cold after voting against the proposed deal earlier this month.

With layers of clothing, hand warmers, foot warmers, generators, fires, and tents – union members are doing anything they can to stay warm while striking in four-hour shifts.

"Trying to keep the generators full of gas and keep them running and that’s pretty much the only heat that we have out here," said Gerald Taylor, a striking MGM worker.

However, the cold weather is taking its toll on some.

Lori Froh, another striking worker, said she has "two pairs of socks, two pairs of pants, two shirts, a sports bra, a heavy coat, a scarf, and gloves" on, yet she is still feeling the cold. 

"My feet are frozen," Froh added. "I don’t like that feeling – I have hand warmers inside my feet."

Striking workers at the Detroit Casino Council at Hollywood Casino and MotorCity Casino voted to ratify a new contract on Nov. 19, ending their strike. The five-year tentative agreements cover 2,800 employees and include the largest wage increases ever negotiated in the Detroit casino industry’s 23-year history.

MGM workers decided to reject their deal and are still fighting for a better contract – over 40 days in. 

"Of course, it’s windy now, so it doesn’t help whether you walk or whether you sit," said Carol Shealy, a worker on strike. "You have to do what you have to do."