PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) -- Providence taxpayers paid nearly $400,000 in overtime costs to police officers assigned to work a detail outside of Butler Hospital during a roughly three-month labor strike.

The New England Health Care Employees Union SEIU 1199NE, which represents more than 800 frontline staffers at Butler Hospital, started a strike on May 15. The standoff ended on August 18 after the union and hospital announced that the striking workers “voted overwhelmingly” to ratify a tentative agreement that had been reached over the weekend.

Providence city spokesperson Josh Estrella told Target 12 that one supervisor and four officers were assigned to the detail on Blackstone Boulevard a daily basis, which cost $398,266.

Police Col. Oscar Perez said they assigned the details while the

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