LAS VEGAS (AP) - Union members representing 15,000 workers at six Las Vegas casinos owned by Harrah's Entertainment Inc. voted overwhelmingly to approve a five-year contract.
Some 97 percent of the voting members of the Culinary Workers Union Local 226 and the Bartenders Union Local 165 backed the agreement, which was negotiated over the last three months, the unions said.
The agreement, which a union spokeswoman said includes the largest wage and benefits increase in the unions' history, was ratified Saturday as the unions were also negotiating with the other major Las Vegas Strip casino operator, MGM Mirage Inc.
'It definitely sets a base standard,' said Pilar Weiss, the culinary union's political director.
The contract for the first time guarantees pay differentials for workers who will face a pay cut by entering into active military duty. It also sets up 'career ladders' that pave the way for employees to receive specialized training and have opportunities to get promoted.
Harrah's Regional President Marilyn Winn, who was the company's lead negotiator, called the agreement 'a fair deal for both sides.'
'By getting a new contract in place, it allows our employees to focus on great customer service and not be worried about a contract situation,' she said.
Harrah's Entertainment is the world's largest gambling company by revenue and second-largest on the Las Vegas Strip, where it operates the Flamingo, Paris, Ballys, Caesars Palace, Rio and Harrah's hotel-casinos.
The culinary union has about 21,000 members at MGM Mirage properties, which include Bellagio, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, Mirage, Luxor, Excalibur, New York-New York, Monte Carlo, Treasure Island and Circus Circus.
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