THOUSAND OAKS : Los Robles Nurses Vote on Union

Hospital administrators said balloting to determine whether nurses at Los Robles Regional Medical Center can be represented by a union went off without a hitch Thursday.

But Brenda Perry, an emergency room nurse who is shop steward, said one hospital administrator was verbally harassing one union supporter just after she voted.

“It was very nasty,” Perry said. “Otherwise, it’s gone fairly smoothly.” Perry said the turnout for the vote was heavy.

Results of the election will not be made public until an appeal by the Thousand Oaks hospital is settled.

“Those supervisors who are not voting have been requested not to appear down the hall where the elections are taking place,” said Kris Carraway, a hospital spokeswoman. “They have honored that request and there have been no incidents thus far.” Two more voting sessions were scheduled for last night.

The balloting was held to determine whether nurses at Los Robles can be represented by the American Federation of Nurses in negotiations with the hospital.

Nurses formed a union a year ago, but the hospital did not recognize the organization. The hospital, which opposes the union, contends that most nurses are supervisors and therefore ineligible to vote.

A decision last month by the regional office of the National Labor Relations Board in Los Angeles directed that the election would take place Thursday and that most nurses were employees and not supervisors.

But the hospital appealed that decision to the labor board in Washington. A decision by that board could take months, a spokesman said. Until a decision is issued, the ballots will remain impounded and the election outcome unknown.