Striking Wahiawa nurses reach contract agreement

By Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writer

Wahiawa General Hospital reached a tentative contract agreement with its striking nurses tonight, signaling an end to the 11-week walkout.

The settlement was announced about 7:30 p.m., about 10 hours after the two sides went back to the bargaining table at the Hawai'i Employers Council.

If ratified, nurses will receive a 19 percent raise over three years.

A ratification vote is scheduled for Thursday, and nurses would begin phasing back to work on Sunday.

The strike began May 5 and involved 65 nurses who were covered by the contract. Since then, about half have found full-time work elsewhere, said Sue Scheider, head of collective bargaining for the Hawaii Nurses' Association. It was not known how many would return to their jobs at the hospital.

Wahiawa nurses currently earn $28.60 an hour. Half of the nurses work full-time, while the other half are part-time employees who work at leat 20 hours a week. The 162-bed hospital is the only 24-hour primary and emergency care medical facility between 'Ewa and Kahuku.