WORKERS AT LOURDES HOSPITAL IN PADUCAH VOTE OUT UNION

PADUCAH, Ky. Workers at Lourdes Hospital in Paducah have voted to oust the International Association of Machinists (IAM) and Aerospace Workers as their bargaining agent.

The union had represented about half of the hospital's employees for more than three years.

The decertification vote was taken Thursday. A decertification effort had failed at the hospital in October of 1991, but Thursday workers voted 577-226 against the union.

When the walkout started more than 11 months ago at the hospital, about half of the 800 workers opted to join the union. During the past 11 months, many union members had resigned and taken other jobs in the area, leaving the union with about 200 active strikers.

Following the vote, the pickets left the line.

For people the hospital had hired to replace the strikers, the end of union meant the jobs were theirs to keep.

Hospital officials say the strikers are eligible to be placed on a preferential hiring list, meaning that Lourdes has to offer them any job that may become available, for which they're qualified, before it can be offered to an outsider.