Deals Avert Walkouts By Nurses At 2 Centers.

9:38 p.m. Updated A nursing strike has been averted at two of Manhattan's busiest hospital centers, as union and hospital negotiators reached tentative deals over pay and benefits, officials involved in the talks said Tuesday. The 1,300 nurses at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center had given notice they would strike on Jan. 3 but were able to resolve disagreements over health benefits. Officials at Mount Sinai Medical Center said Tuesday that they, too, had reached a tentative settlement with the nurses' union, though details of the deal were not available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]