Nurses at Stanford Hospitals Approve Contract, End Strike

Striking nurses at Stanford University Medical Center and the Lucile Salter Packard Children’s Hospital narrowly approved a two-year contract Thursday night, ending a strike that had involved 1,730 nurses and lasted seven weeks.

The contract, which gives the nurses pay raises of between 10% and 12% over the next two years, was approved by a vote of 825 to 551. It needed 810 votes to pass.

“We are very pleased that this labor dispute is over and are very ready to welcome the nurses back to work,” said Matt Reid, a Stanford medical center spokesman. “We have people meeting tomorrow to plan how the re-integration of the nurses will happen. Everyone is expected to be back at work sometime next week.”

The nurses walked off the job June 7, demanding a 17.5% pay increase. The hospital wanted to give only 8%. More than 800 workers were brought in to replace the nurses.