Nurses at Allegheny General Hospital have reached a tentative agreement with hospital management on a new union contract. No details of the agreement are being released until a ratification vote is held at membership meetings today.

"Our goal from the offset was to reach a fair and competitive agreement with our nurses, and we believe the terms of the tentative agreement reflect that commitment," said AGH spokesman Dan Laurent.

"We believe this agreement will continue to make sure Allegheny General Hospital leads the market in nurse compensation and sets the standard for quality patient care, including nurse-to-patient ratios," said John Ziegler, president of SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania, which represents 1,300 nurses at the hospital.

Wages, benefits and having a voice in system integration plans were among the issues raised during negotiations, according to a union Web site. The previous three-year contract expired Tuesday.

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