Contra Costa County Health System nurses have reached a tentative two-year contract agreement combining a 16 percent pay raise with other perks they say should help stem the tide of nurses leaving for higher-paying jobs.

The tentative agreement reached after nearly a year and a half of bargaining would cover more than 900 California Nurses Association registered nurses, public health nurses, "per diem" nurses who don't receive benefits but get a higher base wage than other nurses, and nurse practitioners.

Most work at the county hospital in Martinez, and others are at county clinics in Martinez, North Richmond, Antioch, Pittsburg, Concord, Bay Point, San Pablo and Brentwood, at the county jails in Martinez and Richmond, and at Juvenile Hall in Martinez.

"It's a very good contract, not only for the nurses, but for the community as well," said Anthony Pizzo, a nurse who works mostly at the Pittsburg health clinic. He was on the contract negotiating team. "It's moving in the right direction to make Contra Costa County more competitive with other health care providers in the Bay Area."

The deal was touted Monday as a leap forward for the county in retaining veteran nurses who have been leaving in recent years for better-paying jobs at John Muir Health, Kaiser Permanente and other health care providers in the high-salary, high-cost-of-living East Bay and beyond.

In addition to the 16 percent pay hike, the agreement contains no "take-aways," meaning there will still be no mandatory overtime, or reductions in health care or retirement benefits.

County Supervisor John Gioia, who represents West County on the board, released a statement Monday afternoon saying the board is "pleased that the nurses and the county came together and reached an agreement that is fair for our nurses and within our financial means."

Union members are set to vote Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday on the agreement, and Pizzo said the negotiating team recommends approval. "I will be surprised if they turn it down."

Gioia said in his statement that, if the nurses approve the agreement, the supervisors will likely also OK it later this month.

The previous nurses' contract expired almost 16 months ago. The nurses had rejected a 14 percent raise over three years, 4 percent of that coming as a one-time bonus. They went on a two-day strike in early October.

The highest paid registered nurses under the old contract earn a base salary of a little more than $106,000.