Nearly 700 registered nurses at two major Honolulu hospitals have ratified three-year contracts that call for increases in wages and benefits.

At Kapi'olani Medical Center for Women & Children, more than 500 nurses last week overwhelmingly ratified the agreement, which will expire Nov. 30, 2011. Also, the more than 180 registered nurses at Kuakini Medical Center voted to approve their three-year contract that became effective Dec. 1.

Both deals call for 4 percent annual pay hikes and medical plan improvements, according to the Hawai'i Nurses Association, which represents the nurses.

In addition to the wage increases, nurses at Kapi'olani will receive increases in long-term disability insurance benefits and service recognition bonuses. Nurses also receive professional improvement bonuses.

Patt Gibbs, HNA executive director, said she was pleased with the outcome of the negotiations, as well as the ratification vote. "The bargaining team was able to achieve many important financial benefits for its members, ranging from annual wage increases to no-cost long-term disability benefits," she said.

In a statement issued yesterday, Kapi'olani Medical Center also said it also was pleased with the settlement.

At Kuakini, the nurses will receive hikes in night shift differential and on-call pay, as well as increases to their retirement plan, according to the union.

Meanwhile, contract talks continue between the nurses and management at Kaiser Permanente. Earlier, the nurses and The Queen's Medical Center, the state's largest hospital, agreed to a new three-year contract.