BANGOR (AP) – Nurses at a Bangor hospital said they will go on strike Oct. 17 unless there’s a breakthrough in contract negotiations before then.

The union nurses notified Eastern Maine Medical Center of their intentions after a two-day contract vote was tallied Friday night. Maine State Nurses Association leaders said more than 80 percent of voting nurses rejected EMMC’s latest contract offer.

A required 10-day notice was given Saturday. The 870-member union said the walkout would begin at 7 a.m. Oct. 17 and end 24 hours later.

Hospital officials say they are preparing for the walkout and will bring in replacement nurses during the strike.

While the two sides have made progress on some issues since talks began in July, they have bogged down over a union demand for a “professional practice committee” that would be made up entirely of direct-care nurses.

The committee would make recommendations to improve care or to address nursing issues but would not have the authority to set change or set policy. The nurses say the committee, modeled after a system in California, would promote open and honest communication among direct-care nurses about issues important to patient care.

“We just want to have a committee that is an open forum for nurses,” said Judy Brown, president of the union.

Hospital officials say the exclusion of managers from the committee would be contrary to its policies.

The union is ready to resume negotiations but the hospital has not requested another meeting, Brown said Sunday.

Lorraine Rodgerson, EMMC’s vice president and chief nursing officer, said after the union vote that the hospital will take the situation day by day.

“When this is all over, we will all still be here, working side by side,” Rodgerson said. “Our culture of mutual respect and commitment will see us through.”