Omnova workers could vote to decertify union

COLUMBUS — A vote could soon be taken to decertify the union at Omnova Solutions Inc. in Columbus, where some workers have been on strike for a year.

The Columbus Dispatch reports a group of replacement workers have filed a request with the National Labor Relations Board to take a decertification vote. The more than 100 workers could vote by secret ballot to make the local plant non-union, officially detaching it from the 168 workers who’ve been on strike since May 21, 2010. The union’s contract expired May 15, 2010.

Workers on strike have been permanently replaced, said Sandi Noah, a spokeswoman for Omnova, a maker of upholstery products.

The petition for decertification could take four to six weeks to be granted and go to a vote, if approved by the NLRB. The board confirmed May 17 the petition had been filed.

At least 30 percent of employees at the local plant must have signed the petition, and about one-third of petitions are withdrawn or dismissed, according to the NLRB website.

Ballots can be taken at the workplace or by mail, and when they are counted, company officials, union membership and replacement workers can be present. A majority vote decides whether the union will be decertified.

Source: Columbus Dispatch