Only one of five bargaining units representing workers at CHP Regional Medical Center accepted an offer to join the Service Employees International Union.

More than 500 employees gathered at the hospital Thursday, on the far west side of Lorain, to decide whether to join the union in a secret ballot vote. If the majority of workers in each unit voted to join the union, the entire group would be represented. Workers in units representing professional workers, technical employees and business/clerical staffers all clearly rejected the idea of union.

The skilled maintenance unit, comprised of 16 plumbers, custodians and other maintenance workers, was the only group to accept the offer in a 10-to-3 vote, with three members absent.

Ten votes in the non-professional unit were challenged by the National Labor Relations Board, which administered the voting, over questions of whether those voters were even eligible to participate.

The result of the non-professional unit vote was 123-to-122 against joining the union, which means a decision on the challenged votes could swing the final result.

The hospital and National Labor Relations Board hope to have a decision on the challenged votes soon.

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