Wahiawa nurses
continue talks
With a tentative contract agreement reached on Tuesday night, striking nurses and Wahiawa General Hospital management representatives returned to the bargaining table last night to hammer out a back-to-work agreement.
The two sides were scheduled to begin talks at 9 p.m.
"There are still multiple issues left to resolve in the back-to-work agreement that could indeed delay or prevent resolution," Sue Scheider, director of collective bargaining for the Hawaii Nurses Association, said on Tuesday.
The three-year contract includes a 19 percent raise over the term, as well as a $1-an-hour longevity step for nurses with 10 years of service.
An issue still left open is hospital funding of nurse pensions. The two sides agreed to discuss the issue in the coming months. If no agreement is reached by April, the contract can be reopened and the deal's no-strike clause lifted.
The union said it hoped to present the contract to the full membership today if a return-to-work agreement is reached.