Casino

Two restaurants at Twin River in Lincoln which together employ more than 100 people will be closed weekdays starting on Monday.

The reduced hours at Carmine’s Family Style Restaurant and Twin Hearth Buffet are part of a “streamlining” plan announced by the casino last week.

Union officials have been negotiating with Twin River operators this week about the work-force reductions, but were unable to say yesterday how many union workers will lose their jobs.

“We’re optimistic that the company will keep the best interests of the workers and their families in mind,” Jenna Karlin, an organizer with Unite-HERE Local 217, said yesterday.

The actual number of layoffs is not clear, Karlin said, because workers with more seniority will be able to “bump” other employees with less seniority. That process began yesterday morning and will continue today.

As of January, Twin River casino employed 1,200 people, said casino spokeswoman Patti Doyle, of RDW Group in Providence.

Under the current union contract, workers who average 30 or more hours per week for six months are eligible for health benefits during the following six months, said Karlin, of Local 217.

“We’re optimistically working with the company to address anyone who is fully laid off,” Karlin said, “to keep as many people on health insurance as possible.”

Carmine’s restaurant will remain open Friday and Saturday nights; Twin Hearth Buffet will be open on Friday night and Saturday during the day and at night. Some of the workers at those restaurants may be able to move into new jobs at Fado Irish Pub, which is extending is hours from 5 to 7 nights a week, said the casino’s Doyle.

“We’re taking a good hard look at the various business lines,” Doyle said, “and seeking efficiencies where we could.”

The changes will have no impact on Fred & Steve’s Steakhouse or The Food Court, the casino said.

Twin River, formerly known as Lincoln Park, has undertaken a $220-million makeover to double the size of the complex, boost the number of slot machines from about 3,200 to 4,750, add a 2,500-seat auditorium and add new bars and restaurants.

Rhode Island had 43,300 payroll employees in the accommodation and food services industry as of January, state labor data shows. The average annual wage in the industry in 2006 was $15,158, according to the most recent available data.

larditi@projo.com