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Greektown Casino Hotel in Detroit, photographed on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2013. Casino revenues are down this year. Kimberly P. Mitchell/Detroit Free Press(Photo: Detroit Free Press)Buy Photo

The Detroit Casino Council reached a labor deal late Sunday with Detroit's three casinos -- Greektown Casino, MGM Grand Detroit and MotorCity -- for a new contract that would cover about 6,000 workers.

The Detroit Casino Council, a consortium of four unions, reached the tentative agreement after a round of negotiations that began Tuesday and continued every day for the past six days. The contract still needs to be approved by workers in a ratification vote that will take place this week.

Health care, along with bonuses and wage increases, were among the key issues that were part of the final negotiations, according to updates provided by the Detroit Casino Council to its members in recent days.

The negotiations between the casinos and the labor unions were closely watch by city officials and community leaders because of the high volume of tourism and tax revenue generated by the casinos. The discussions also were complex and were overseen by state and federal mediators

Joe Daugherty, president of Unite Here Local 24, told the Free Press in an email Sunday night that an agreement was reached. Daugherty said details about the contract will be shared with union members at informational meetings this week.

Daugherty also said workers would be provided an update about the new agreement Monday morning.

The casino council includes members of UAW Local 7777, Unite Here Local 24, Teamsters Local 372 and the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 324.

MotorCity Casino and Greektown Casino both confirmed an agreement was reached.

"It was in our collective best interest to reach an agreement that continues to allow our associates to earn the highest wages in the gaming industry, while preserving the hotel and casino operations that provide such critical tax revenue to Detroit," Gregg Solomon, CEO of MotorCity Casino Hotel said in a statement.

There was no immediate comment late Sunday from MGM Grand.

Negotiations between the Detroit Casino Council and the casinos began in August. The existing contract expired on Oct. 16.

Contact Brent Snavely: 313-222-6512 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Follow him on Twitter @BrentSnavely. 

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