Nurses at Southern Ocean Medical Center agreed to a contract on Sunday, averting a strike less than 24 hours before the scheduled walkout.
The nurses, who are part of the Health Professionals & Allied Employees (HPAE) Local 5138, were negotiating with the hospital over nurse-to-patient staffing ratios, wages and other benefits. After a day of talks Saturday that continued into early Sunday morning, the union said it reached a tentative deal on a three-year contract.