31.   Professional employees also are voting on whether to join the same bargaining unit as their non-professional colleagues.

32.   Tentative accords had been reached with the two of three bargaining units, according to sources familiar with the talks.

33.   That means there will be one bargaining unit for all employees, they said.

34.   The center refused to bargain with the union, saying the nurses were supervisors and should not be part of the bargaining unit.

35.   The company is still negotiating with the bargaining unit that represents workers in the mid-Atlantic states.

36.   The union opposes an election, preferring that a new bargaining unit be recognized when a majority of the workers sign union cards.

37.   Verizon said it would not provide further details of the contract until the remaining bargaining unit also had reached an agreement.

38.   We want to negotiate the best possible contract as a bargaining unit.

39.   Union leaders have set a Tuesday deadline for reaching a deal or they will end negotiations and step aside as the bargaining unit for NBA players.