Opinion Editorial, The Day, 09/30/07 

by Johnnie Dorsey and Tom Estapa

Johnnie Dorsey, a slot technician, is bargaining chairperson for the Greektown unit of UAW Local 7777. Tom Estapa, a casino dealer, is a union steward and member of the bargaining committee at Greektown.

Good things are happening in the gaming industry in Detroit -- and we’re proud to be part of the action.

Greektown Casino, where we work, is in the midst of a $200 million expansion in the heart of downtown.  Our new facility will feature a 30-story hotel, a 1,100-seat live theatre, a convention center and an expanded gaming floor.

Casinos came to Detroit in 1999, bringing tens of thousands of customers, thousands of new jobs and revitalization to a distressed urban area.  With new facilities going up at Greektown and two other gaming houses, there’s no question that the gaming industry is a success in the Motor City.

And casino workers have been a key part of that success.

Within a year after the casinos opened their doors in Detroit, workers at all three casinos had organized our own unions and bargained our first contract agreements.  At Greektown, which is 90% owned by the Sioux St. Marie Chippewa Indian tribe, dealers, slot techs, cashiers, pit clerks and other gaming floor employees decided to become part of the UAW.

We are members of UAW Local 7777, along with dealers and other gaming floor employees at Motor City Casino and MGM Grand in Detroit.

Forming our own union was a great decision for us -- and when you look out on the street and see construction crews working on a gleaming new 30-story hotel, it’s pretty obvious that respecting workers and providing good jobs with good wages has worked out pretty well for our employers as well.

We have tremendous respect for the Sioux St. Marie Chippewa tribe and their commitment to invest in Detroit.  The tribe and casino management also respects our union.  We’ve negotiated two contracts so far, and we’re working on a third.

Of course, sometimes we have our differences.  But with a union, we have a voice on the job and a way to raise our concerns in a positive manner that can lead to a successful resolution.

In our situation, we were able to get a lot more as union members than we would have without a union.  We’ve seen a significant increase in our wages and benefits. We all have health insurance after 90 days on the job, and management has to talk to us first before making any change in our wages or benefits.  

We have a democratic structure so we can deal with any issue that is important to our membership.  We elect union stewards to handle day-to-day issues on the casino floor, a bargaining team to negotiate our contract, and officers to run our Local Union.

When it comes to putting together a contract, we have a say in what goes in it.  Without a union, management gets the first word, the last word and all the words in between.  With a union, we have a real dialogue, so everyone can have their concerns addressed.

Our experience in Detroit shows that a business can listen to workers, negotiate a fair contract, and still earn healthy profits. Our casino takes in more revenue every year.  We’re expanding and hiring new workers.  And we’re doing it all with a union contract that provides fair wages and a voice on the job.

It’s up to workers at Foxwoods to decide whether or not to sign union cards and to form their own union.  We can’t possibly make that decision for anybody else.  We can tell you this:  Having a union at the tribally-owned Greektown Casino in Detroit has helped bring good wages and security for us and our families -- and we are proud of what we’ve accomplished.

Reprinted with permission.