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Calif. Hospital Strike Averted By Tentative Contract Deal

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com/AP) — Union officials say a planned strike by thousands of University of California hospital workers has been averted after contract talks yielded a deal.

City News Service reported Sunday that a proposed four-year contract will keep 13,000 patient care technical workers on the job.

The workers who perform MRIs and other procedures had planned to strike on Monday.

The workers voted to authorize a strike after the hospitals decided to impose new contract terms that included additional layoff powers.

Officials at the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, Local 3299, say the new deal includes fair wage increases, secure benefits, staffing protections and pension reform.

Calif. Hospital Strike Averted By Tentative Contract Deal

"We're never going to agree with UC on every issue but the hope here is that the UC will join us in a new period of cooperation, of constructive dialogue that benefits the students, patients, and the communities that we all serve," Todd Stenhouse, a spokesman for the union, told KNX1070's Bob Brill.

Meanwhile, Dwaine Duckett, UC vice president for human resources, issued a statement that read in pertinent part, "There was true compromise by both sides to reach this agreement. This ends nearly two years of very challenging negotiations and serves as a foundation for UC and AFSCME to build on going forward. The agreement also allows our medical centers and student health centers to continue to deliver the quality care our patients and students depend on without any interruptions."

(TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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