The State : Strikers Ask for Arbitration

Hospital workers are proposing binding arbitration to settle a 5-day-old strike over health benefits and sick leave against seven San Francisco hospitals. Local 250, Hospital and Health Care Workers Union, proposed a marathon, 72-hour negotiating session, after which an arbitrator would decide unresolved issues. There was no immediate response from management. The 1,700 hospital workers--dietitians, janitors, and licensed vocational nurses--say services at Children’s, Marshall Hale, Mt. Zion, St. Francis and other hospitals have deteriorated during the strike, although management disagreed. A strike by 2,000 nurses over wages and staffing rules is set to begin Tuesday.