AP Features, February 9th, 2007
A nasty labor dispute between some 800 nurses and management at two southern Nevada hospitals ended Thursday with the groups announcing a three-year contract guaranteeing wage increases.
Negotiators hammered out the pact after about 60 hours of talks starting Friday morning at Harrah's casino-hotel in Reno, mediated by former Harrah's Entertainment Inc. chief executive Phil Satre, officials said.
"This is a victory for both organizations but more importantly it's a victory for our community," Clark County Commission Chairman Rory Reid said.
Nurses represented by the Service Employees International Union unanimously ratified the deal Wednesday night, said nurse Teresa Myers, a union member. We are thrilled with this contract agreement," she said.
The deal gives nurses a wage increase of at least 5 percent the first year, and at least 3 percent the second and third years.
Before the new contract, a licensed practical nurse made an average base wage of $22.71 an hour, while a registered nurse working in intensive care made $34.50 an hour. The agreement brings salaries in line with other southern Nevada hospitals, said Jane McAlevey, executive director and chief negotiator for the union.
The dispute between the union and Valley Health System led to a strike that turned into a lockout in December. Valley is a subsidiary of Universal Health Services Inc. of King of Prussia, Pa.
Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman said talks were hostile at the start.
"There was a lot of bitterness, a lot of dislike, accusations, finger pointing," Goodman said. "For this to have gotten to this point so quickly, it means the people that were involved in the negotiations were trying very, very hard."
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On the Net:
Universal Health Services: http://www.uhsinc.com
Service Employees International Union: http://www.seiulocal1107.org
