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Golden Gate, Union Schedule More Talks

LAS VEGAS -- Golden Gate owner Mark Brandenburg planned to return to the bargaining table today with the Culinary Union on the fifth day of a casino workers strike at the small downtown hotel.

A 2 p.m. meeting at the Culinary Union hall was scheduled.

Culinary Union Secretary-Treasurer D. Taylor said this morning that he's optimistic the talks could lead to a settlement.

"They said they were putting a proposal on the table, so we're hopeful of getting this resolved," Taylor said.

Earlier in the week, Brandenburg, who could not be reached for comment this morning, said he sought to resume negotiations with the union to explain his difficult financial position in the hopes of finding more common ground with the union.

"I want an agreement, but it has to be realistic," he said.

The Golden Gate, the last holdout among 35 casinos negotiating new contracts, previously proposed switching union employees from the union's health plan to the company's medical insurance to save money. The union rejected that proposal at the other 34 casinos, and all of those properties signed collective bargaining agreements keeping culinary workers under the union's health plan.

While the Golden Gate talks take place, Brandenburg has dug in for the long haul, hiring replacement workers and installing surveillance cameras around the Fremont Street property to keep track of strikers.

Union members, some with bull-horns, have been heckling Golden Gate customers as they enter and leave the casino, calling them "losers" and "scabs."

Las Vegas Club executives across the street have expressed concern that the vocal labor dispute is discouraging business at their casino.

Coast Resorts Chairman Michael Gaughan, who negotiated a union contract at the Las Vegas Club, owned by his father, Jackie Gaughan, said he was going to ask union leaders to tone down the demeanor of the strikers.

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