Striking nurses to vote on whether to ratify new contract

WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) — Hundreds of unionized nurses at a Massachusetts hospital who have been on strike for nearly 10 months are scheduled to vote Monday on whether to ratify a new contract and head back to work. The tentative agreement between about 700 nurses at St. Vincent Hospital in Worcester and hospital owner Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare was announced on Dec. 17 after an all-day bargaining session. The strike that started March 8 is the longest nurses strike in state history, according to the Massachusetts Nurses Association. The deal includes staffing improvements, pay and health insurance boosts, and gives striking nurses the right to return to their old jobs.