The tentative agreement was reached about 6:45 a.m. today. No date has been set for a ratification vote, although negotiators say it will likely be held within seven days.

Queen's officials would not comment on details of the agreement, but were happy one was reached.

"We are very pleased that a tentative agreement has been reached and look forward to the return of our nurses to again be part of our longstanding reputation of providing superior patient care," said Queen's President and Chief Executive Officer Arthur A. Ushijima, in a written statement.

The tentative agreement is the second in as many days. Yesterday, negotiators for striking nurses at Kuakani Medical Center reached a tentative agreement with the hospital. Their ratification vote will be held Friday.

That leaves only St. Francis Medical Center without an agreement or any scheduled labor talks.

Each hospital negotiates separately with the Hawai'i Nurses' Association and has different salary schedules. Nurses at the three hospitals currently earn between $20.55 an hour up to as much as $38.86 an hour.

Nurses at Kuakini, where pay ranges from $20.55 an hour to $34.84 an hour, would receive a 20 percent pay increase over three years: 7 percent the first year; 6.25 percent the second and 6.75 percent the third, negotiators said.

That would raise annual salaries at Kuakini to between $42,744 and $86,965 a year before overtime.

Under the terms of the tentative agreement at Queen's, the nurses will get a 21 percent wage increase over the three-year contract ­ 8 percent the first year, 6 percent the second and 7 percent in the third year.

Hospital officials also agreed to restrict mandatory overtime and must use temporary nurses before forcing Queen's nurses to work longer.

But Queen's won its battle to create a system that combines sick leave and vacation into what it calls "paid time off." The issue had been a sticking point that fueled the strike and continued to anger the 800 nurses ever since they walked off the job Dec. 3.

Bill Richter, a nurse and negotiator, said today at a press conference that the tentative agreement would not have been possible if the union did not concede on paid time off.

"PTO was accepted with some modifications," he said. "There were some modifications we wouldn't have liked, but they were sufficient enough to make it palatable."

Under the Queen's proposal, the 12 days of sick leave become five additional days that can be used as vacation. The other seven days go into an extended sick leave bank that can be tapped for longer illnesses.

Nurses who use no sick leave in a year would receive five additional days of vacation, and nurses who call in sick fewer than five days a year also end up with additional time off.

Richter acknowledged there are many nurses who will not accept paid time off no matter how its modified and that its inclusion could prompt a rejection of the tentative agreement.

"I'm certainly not ruling that out," he said. "I think it will be a close vote."

Nurses will continue to walk the picket lines until a contract is signed.

Outside Queen's, nurses began hearing about the agreement not long after it was made. Some said they were disappointed that negotiations had not eliminated paid time off.

"I'm real upset about it," said nurse Gene Hall, who sat in on part of the negotiations.

"The negotiators kept saying they were going to leave PTO in the contract and we said no, don't do that, that's what the strike was all about," he said. "I'm voting no and I'm telling everyone I can to vote no."

Nurse Kevin Matsumoto, agreed.

"We have been out here going on six weeks with that on the table," he said. "It's like we were out here for nothing."

Nurse Sandra Teele said the strike has created a lot of "hurt feelings" among nurses who felt that Queen's did not appreciate them. She said that even if they ratify the contract, she will likely find another job.

"There is going to be a long healing process even if we settle," she said. "Queen's will settle because they have to, not because they appreciate the nurses."

Negotiators know this is a potential problem, Richter said.