News In Brief

Tentative settlement reached in NYC hospitals strike

Hospital workers in New York City are expected to begin returning to their jobs later this week after a tentative settlement of a seven-week old strike. The terms must be ratified but acceptance appears certain.

The strike involved more than 50,000 employees of 33 private, nonprofit hospitals and 17 nonprofit nursing homes.

The agreement would give workers a 5 percent wage increase in each year of a two-year contract.

The new terms guarantee every other weekend off and include assurances that most workers will get jobs back.

The walkout, which began July 13, affected 18,000 patients. Staff supervisory and other workers on 12-hour shifts maintained services.