“We are literally in session as we speak, and I believe we will come to a deal today,” he said. MGM CEO William Hornbuckle told analysts during a conference call Wednesday afternoon that he believes a strike will be averted there as well. The union has said it will go on strike at 5 am local time Friday with any company with which it does not reach a deal by then. Talks also are scheduled for Thursday with Wynn Resorts, the other casino operator facing a strike threat. Negotiations were taking place Wednesday with MGM Resorts International, which owns another eight casinos on the Strip - Aria, Bellagio, Excalibur, Luxor, Mandalay Bay, MGM Grand, New York-New York and Park MGM. There could be another deal on the horizon. Through this agreement, Caesars Entertainment will ensure that as we grow, our Team Members grow with us.” “Team members will see meaningful wage increases that align with our past performance, along with continued opportunities for growth tied to our future plans to bring more union jobs to the Las Vegas Strip. “We are excited to reach an agreement … which recognizes the integral contributions our team members have made to the success we have seen in Las Vegas over the last few years,” said a statement from the company. But reaching a deal with one of the three casino operators along the strip increases the pressure on the other two companies to agree to similar deals before Friday morning’s strike deadline. If they vote it down, they could still go on strike.

The tentative deal will now be presented to rank-and-file members for a ratification vote. The nine casinos on the strip owned by the company are Caesars Forum, Caesars Palace, Flamingo, Harrah’s, Horseshoe, Paris, Planet Hollywood, The Cromwell and The Linq. It covers 10,000 union members who work as cooks, bartenders, waiters and waitresses and housekeepers at the nine casinos owned by Caesars Entertainment. The details of the agreement, which was announced in a tweet by the union, are not yet available, but the union said it was reached after 20 straight hours of negotiations. A tentative five-year labor deal has been reached between the Culinary union and Caesars Entertainment to avert a potential strike at its nine casinos along the Las Vegas Strip, although nine other casinos still face possible walkouts come Friday morning.

Casino union strike update