Thousands of hotel and casino employees in Atlantic City remained working today as the expiration of their contract went by.

Bartenders kept pouring libations and servers kept working as well. Officials from the 17,000-member Local 54 of the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union announced there decision to stave off plans to strike. They say that they are trying everything to come to an eventual agreement.

The cost of health care and the hiring of subcontractors who use nonunion help are the main causes of disagreement. It is also noted that the union wants a three-year contract and casinos want a five-year contract.

Negotiators for the union met Tuesday with representatives of Harrah's Entertainment Inc. and Caesars Entertainment Inc. Together the two companies own five casino-hotels in Atlantic City. While it was said that this meeting was a positive one, a total agreement was not achieved.

The union held talks on Monday with Tropicana Casino and Resort and with Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts. They own three casinos here.

At this time, casino officials remain without any comments regarding the current situation.

In 1999 the union held a three-day walkout that caused casinos to stop certain services and deployed executives and managers to work in the missing or vacated union jobs.

If a strike does eventually happen, approximately 14,500 employees will feel the affects. The other 2,500 work at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, which signed a separate four-year contract with Local 54 when it opened last year.