Negotiators for nurses on strike at The Queen's Medical Center today said they are optimistic that hospital management will reconsider a settlement package. In a written statement, the hospital today called the progress "postive movement."

Caroldean Kahue, a Hawai'i Nurses Association labor relations specialist, today said both sides made compromises during the lengthy talks, which ended at 4 a.m.

"There was some movement on both sides," Kahue said. "l think both parties went into these negotiations with the intent of trying to work through our differencs."

But Kahue said the proposed package includes three unsettled issues that have vexed negotiations since nurses at Queen's walked off the job Dec. 3: mandatory overtime, retirement benefits and paid time off.

The hospital also noted those points, adding that the distribution of a 21 percent wage increase also needs to be settled.

"By the end of the 18-hour session, there began to be relatively little change in the language of the counter proposals and we felt it would be better to end the session with the positve movement seen on both sides earlier in the evening," said Dan Jessop, chief operating officer and executive vice president for Queen's.

No further negotiations are scheduled, although the nurses would come back to the table tomorrow or Sunday, if necessary, Kahue said.

Nurses at Queen's are among 1,400 nurses who walked off the job last month.

Nurses and management from St. Francis Medical Center met today for the first time since the strike began. Kuakini Medical Center plans to resume talks with its nurses on Monday.

The meeting yesterday began at 10 a.m.

Before the Queen's nurses offered their proposed settlement about 2:30 a.m., the hospital had rejected a retirement medical benefits proposal that would allow nurses to be eligible after 10 years of service, Kahue said.

The hospital had also rejected a mandatory overtime proposal that ensured that other resources, such as temporary agency nurses, would be exhausted before Queen's nurses would have to work beyond their 12-hour shifts, Kahue said.

But the nurses gave ground on their issue of paid time off, or "PTO" as its often called. "We were willing to compromise," she said.

PTO has been a sticking point for weeks. Queen's officials want to institute a program that combines sick, holiday and vacation programs. Nurses would accrue up to five extra vacation days for not using sick days and could "sell back" up to 80 hours of unused paid time off each year and donate hours to fellow employees. Nurses would not lose any sick leave they currently have.

"We tried to modify it to where the nurses would be able to live with it," Kahue said. "We tried to work with the employer to meet them halfway."

Bill Richter, a Queen's nurse involved in negotiations, was surprised to see the negotations end in what he felt was an abrupt manner. He thought both sides had planned to talk for as long as necessary.

"With all the movement that was made, especially on our side, it was disappointing to see them leave," he said today. "We had all but accepted their PTO in its original form. Yet, suddenly, despite statements made earlier, they were leaving quickly."

The hospital said it needed time to carefully examine the offer.

"After 18 hours of negotiations where agreement came closer, it appeared both parties needed to step back, review the progress and proposals and prepare for the next sessions," said Gail Tiwanak, the hospital's vice president for marketing and communications.

Reach Mike Gordon at mgordon@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8012.