Tentative Deal in Atlantic City Strike LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Striking Atlantic City casino workers on Tuesday said they have reached a tentative five-year labor deal that increases pay and benefits but fails to make their contracts expire at the same time as those of workers in Las Vegas, which had been a key goal of the union. About 10,000 members of Local 54 of Unite Here will vote on the proposed contract on Wednesday. If it is approved, they could return to work on Thursday, ending a month-long strike, the union said. The new contract would raise the total pay package 28.3 percent over five years, including wages, a 51 percent increase in employer pension contributions and a 91 percent hike in health-care contributions, the union said. The proposed pact also limits outsourcing of jobs. "The union got a good deal, but it is definitely manageable from the standpoint of the casinos," said Deutsche Bank analyst Marc Falcone. He estimated that the package could cost operators an extra $3 million to $10 million a year. Falcone said the biggest impact of the contract terms would be on labor negotiations across the industry, particularly for Las Vegas. "We believe that future negotiations could be modeled after Atlantic City, as the union got a great deal by threatening a shorter contract term coinciding with other cities. We believe Las Vegas union leaders could use this playbook to negotiate when that contract expires in 2007," the analyst said in a report. Shares of Harrah's Entertainment Inc. (HET.N: Quote , Profile , Research ) closed down 34 cents at $58.38 and Caesars Entertainment Inc. (CZR.N: Quote , Profile , Research ) , which Harrah's has agreed to buy, fell 5 cents to $17.90 on the New York Stock Exchange. The new contract would not put Atlantic City on the same negotiating cycle as Las Vegas, a demand the workers had earlier identified as one of their most important goals. They had pushed for a three-year deal, which would have given them power to negotiate as a bloc and threaten to shut down both gaming centers during labor disputes. "This contract is such a blockbuster it would be impossible to be disappointed in it," said John Wilhelm, the union's national hotel union chief. He said the contract's duration was a means to an end and the union was able to achieve its goals by striking.     Continued ... Quelle "Tentative Deal in Atlantic City Strike" : reuters.com Main page for "Tentative Deal in Atlantic City Strike"