Nurses' Strike At Boston Hospital Averted
BOSTON(AP) -- A planned strike by nurses at Tufts Medical Center in Boston has been averted by a last minute labor deal.
The nurses' union and hospital management reached a tentative deal on a new 18-month contract late Thursday night following a 15-hour negotiating session.
The hospital's roughly 1,000 nurses had planned to strike Friday to protest what they called staffing levels that endangered patient safety.
The union says the new pact includes an agreement that calls for the continuation of current staffing patterns. It also includes limits on mandatory overtime and a pay raise.
Tufts President Ellen Zane said in a statement the hospital is "pleased" with the deal.
A ratification vote is scheduled for May 19.
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