Thousands of casino workers go on strike in Detroit for first time in city history

• The strike comes as around 34,000 UAW members across the country demand more competitive contracts, including hundreds of UAW members employed with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.

Of note: MGM Grand Detroit and Motor City Casino say they will remain open throughout the duration of the strike.

The intrigue: The Detroit Casino Council represents almost 4,000 casino workers from several unions.

• Striking workers will be paid $500 weekly via union dues.

What they're saying: "It's unfortunate that we have to join in on this labor movement," slot attendant Tyjuanese Lyte tells Axios. "We need to recoup our losses we took during the pandemic — we were without work for six months."

The other side: "While significant progress has been made, we have not yet reached an agreement with the Detroit Casino Council," Motor City Casino said in a statement. "We remain committed to bargaining in good faith and achieving a contract that is fair to our employees and allows our company to remain competitive in our industry."