CONTRACT LIKELY IN FEW DAYS COUNTY, UNION CLOSE TO REACHING ACCORD.

Byline: Dominic Berbeo Staff Writer

Negotiations with unions representing some 47,000 county workers are expected to yield a new three-year contract within the next 48 hours, officials said Tuesday.

Talks between the county and Service Employees International Union Local 660 were brought out of the deep freeze last week after several days of ``rolling'' strikes and a general one-day walkout that affected services ranging from county hospitals to election balloting.

``We fully expect to have everything resolved by Thursday at the latest,'' said county spokeswoman Judy Hammond.

The union also voiced strong optimism, saying there had been unprecedented progress made in past days on the two sticking points that have bogged down the talks since they began early this year: wage increases and staffing at health facilities.

An original wage offer from the county included a 9 percent pay increase over the length of the three-year contract. The union was seeking 15.5 percent, and both sides said this week they have agreed to compromise on those figures.

While focus has been on the wage issue, the union says that the second priority is increased staffing in county hospitals and clinics, where more than 19,000 members ranging from nurses to clerks work.

``Having sufficient staff at health facilities means the public will get the best service possible,'' said Mark Tarnawsky, communications director for Service Employees International Union Local 660. ``Nurses and staff being overworked is an issue that cannot be ignored.''

Originally, the county had said it would not budge on its 9 percent offer, saying that county coffers are facing more than a $400 million deficit over the next five years.

But after the countywide one-day strike action, both sides agreed to return to the table at the request of Cardinal Roger Mahony, who said the strike would have the hardest impact on the poor through services such as health care, welfare, and social services.

Health facilities were hit hard by the strike, and county officials said that an additional day of walkouts at the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk's Office would jeopardize the November election in Los Angeles.

Meanwhile, the union has called for a number of demonstrations at the field offices of members of the Board of Supervisors to step up pressure to settle.