Greektown Casino Feels Economy Crunch, Lays Off Workers

There are the pressures that are facing nearly every company in the United States. When do you start to lay off workers who have been with you a long time to try and save some money?

This question has been answered emphatically by the Sault Ste. Marie tribe of Chippewa Indians. The time is now. they have already begun laying off employees in hopes of gaining financial stability.

The tribe owns the Greektown Casino and also five other casinos. They have started to eliminate workers after filing Chapter Eleven in May. One of the employees let loose was surprised by the move.

"I was told they were downsizing, and that we would be eligible for unemployment...There's a lot of places that are downsizing right now but usually they get the top heavy people, not the small guys like myself," said Nathan Wright, a Website administrator who lost his job.

The tribe is expected to cut two percent over the next several months. It is not known exactly the number of employees that will be, but the target is 369 jobs in the next two and a half months.

If the economy does not pick up, that number could increase. The tribe is sighting the same reasons as other casinos for laying off employees. The economy is slow, gas prices are up, and the cost of operating the casinos has gone through the roof.

August 1, 2008
Posted By Tom Jones
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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