The cooling-off period in the San Francisco hotel workers' labor dispute will expire Sunday uneventfully, as both union and employer representatives on Friday assured Mayor Gavin Newsom there will be no strike or lockout, at least in the short term.

While a strike or lockout are technically possible come Sunday, Newsom said both sides gave him their word that neither will occur "in the foreseeable future'' and negotiations will continue.

Mike Casey, the president of Unite Here Local 2, representing workers at 14 San Francisco hotels, a team of hotel managers and a federal mediator met with Newsom for about 45 minutes Friday afternoon.

They left City Hall without comment, but Newsom told reporters that the two sides agreed to continue talks beyond Sunday.

Sunday "was never a drop-dead date as long as the cooling-off period continues, and we have been assured the cooling off will continue, for both sides have agreed not to, for the foreseeable future, strike nor to lock out, '' said Newsom.

The mayor had asked both sides to join in a cooling-off period after their fruitless contract talks gave way to a two-week strike at four hotels and subsequent lockout of 4,300 hotel workers at the 14 hotels in the bargaining group.

Both finally agreed to the terms on Nov. 20 -- the workers returned to their jobs and negotiators were to continue with their work -- but Newsom said Friday that nothing of substance was discussed until this month.

He blamed the holidays and "residual feelings'' stemming from the labor dispute for the slow pace during the cooling-off period.

"I pressed upon both sides very clearly the importance of getting this done as soon as we can, recognizing in labor negotiations that soon does not mean tomorrow or next month. It's very difficult,'' said Newsom.

Newsom said he is concerned about meeting planners' nervousness about booking in San Francisco amid a labor dispute. "I continue talking to people, telling them there is no strike, there is no lockout, we are open for business, and both sides continue to negotiate in good faith. But the longer this goes on, clearly the uncertainty creates more of a speculative environment,'' said Newsom.

Local 2 is conducting a boycott of the 14 hotels and members are calling meeting planners asking them to move their business to other hotels. "That's the only way to get a settlement here -- when some bean-counter decides it's better to settle with the union than to continue to lose millions of dollars in business,'' said Casey.

Matt Adams, the managing director of the Hyatt Regency Hotel, said the true victims of the boycott are employees losing wages, shifts and other benefits associated with work at the hotels. "It seems to me it would be better to get a contract settled quickly, as opposed to driving business out of San Francisco, which itself is hurting,'' said Adams.