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A threatened strike by Los Angeles County emergency room nurses and nurse practitioners was averted Tuesday after a marathon of month-long negotiations at the bargaining table and an early morning tentative settlement with county officials.

A tentative agreement was reached late Monday between Los Angeles County nurses and the county to avert a planned strike set to begin Tuesday.

Los Angeles County officials and the labor union representing the county’s nurses reached an 11th-hour deal Monday night to avert a strike that was set to begin Tuesday morning.

Los Angeles County emergency room nurses and nurse practitioners threatened to go on strike as early as Thanksgiving, saying the county is not paying enough to attract and retain nurses, leaving emergency rooms and intensive care units understaffed and patients at risk.

Los Angeles County emergency room nurses and nurse practitioners contend poor pay and understaffing puts patients at risk.

In recent years, KPCC/LAist analysis found that the Sheriff’s Department has played an outsized role in sexual misconduct legal cases involving the county’s massive workforce. At least $17 million has been paid out by the county in cases tied to sheriff’s personnel since July 2004.