Why is Encore Boston Harbor rolling the dice when it comes to a new union contract for 1,400 workers at its wildly successful casino?

The two unions representing workers — Unite Here Local 26 and International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 25 — aren’t afraid of a protracted fight. Last week, the unions authorized a strike if a new agreement isn’t reached by Saturday.

Their two-year contract with Encore, negotiated in the middle of the pandemic, expired in April. Unite Here Local 26 contends that workers at the Everett resort casino are paid less than their unionized counterparts at other Boston hotels.

How much? Encore housekeepers, according to the union, earn about $25 an hour.