The State : S.F. Hospital Workers Settle

Health-care workers at seven San Francisco hospitals overwhelmingly ratified a two-year contract, ending a strike that began July 26 and spread when nurses walked out several days later. However, the 1,700 workers will not return to the job until 24 hours after striking nurses ratify a contract agreement with six of the hospitals. The strike has forced a number of emergency and operating rooms to close and has required critically ill patients to be moved to other hospitals. Nurses were flown in from other cities to fill in. Mark Splain, trustee of Local 250 of the Hospital and Health Care Workers Union, said 92.3% of those voting favored the settlement agreement, which resolved key issues of health insurance and sick-time benefits. Representatives of the 2,200 striking nurses negotiated over the weekend for the first time since they walked off the job Aug. 2.