Hundreds of unionized workers from Hollywood Casino Toledo and its sister location in Columbus are still without a new contract after their last one expired late last year, but officials are hopeful members will ratify a deal early next week.

Negotiators from the United Steelworkers and the United Auto Workers unions — each representing roughly half the casino workers at the two locations — reached a tentative four-year, four-month deal with Penn Entertainment Inc. days before Christmas. The arrangement came hours before the workers were scheduled to strike.

But the workers rejected that deal “by a pretty good margin,” sending bargainers back to the table in recent weeks, said Eric Sweeney, staff representative for International Steelworkers Local 1-346, who has been involved in the talks.