Manufacturing and production employees at Ciner voted against forming a union yesterday by nearly a 2-1 margin.

The final vote of 180-95 against joining United Steel Workers came in around 9 p.m. last night. Employees voted in two sessions yesterday at the plant west of Green River.

Ciner employees were voting on whether to join the steelworkers union, who backed the pro-union voters after enough authorization cards were gathered to warrant an election conducted by the National Labor Board.

USW District 11 Staff Representative Monte Morlock said despite the loss, he hopes Ciner employees will benefit from an improved benefits package offered by the company prior to the vote.

“A lot of people worked really hard, and I know they’re disappointed,” Morlock said this morning. “But because of all those people standing out there on the road and voicing their concerns, they’re going to get better insurance from the company.”

A number of Ciner employees organized pro-union rallies along with members from USW locals 13214 and 15320 along the road outside the plant this week.

Morlock said the USW plans to pursue its unfair labor practice charge against the company for allegedly threatening to pull an upgraded insurance package off the table if the union vote passed.

But he doesn’t expect a decision to be made on the charge anytime soon though.

“These things can take a little bit of time,” he said. “We could be looking at 6 months or more.”