The visiting nurses of Cape Cod Healthcare remain without a new contract following a three-day strike in October, but they plan to return to the negotiating table next week.
The government shutdown that ended in November stalled negotiations, according to the Massachusetts Nurses Association, which is the union representing the nurses.
With a federal mediator now available, talks are set to resume Dec. 19.
The union says the visiting nurses are not expecting the same wage as hospital nurses, but they do want the same percentage raise that nurses at Cape Cod Hospital and Falmouth Hospital received in August — 19 percent over three years.
The visiting nurses work for the Visiting Nurse Association of Cape Cod, which is part of Cape Cod Healthcare.
Massachusetts Nurses Association spokeswoman Jennifer Johnson said the raise is a matter of fairness, since both groups are registered nurses.
“It's really — I think — the fairness around what the nurses are asking for that makes this truly exceptional,” she said.
She said Cape Cod has unique challenges in finding staff, due to the geography and cost of living.
Cape Cod Healthcare has said its wage offer is already “significantly higher” than competitors and that employee benefits exceed industry standards.
