On Monday, the National Labor Relations Board certified the Covington Paperworkers Union Local 675 as the new contract bargaining unit for about 900 union members at the MeadWestvaco paper mill in Covington.

But that does not mean that Bobby Harrison, president of opponent United Steelworkers Local 8-675, is prepared to join hands with CPU officers and sing "Kumbaya."

CPU won an Oct. 14 election, besting the USW local by 39 votes. Two previous elections had failed to resolve which union local would represent workers during contract negotiations, grievance proceedings and other labor-related discussions with MeadWestvaco.

The NLRB certified the Oct. 14 election after neither side protested the election results by the deadline of Friday.

Roy Hall, president of CPU, said Local 675 plans to focus first on "unification of the membership," trying to bring the two sides back together to form a stronger union.

But Harrison said Monday that he and an as yet undetermined number of Steelworkers at the mill have no intention of joining CPU and expect the upstart union to ultimately fail.

"We're not sore losers," Harrison said. "We have an obligation to support our members and supporters."

He said workers can choose to become USW associates, which Harrison said will provide access to United Steelworkers International's insurance for short-term and long-term disability, legal and other services.

Becky Johnson, a spokeswoman for MeadWestvaco, said the company has been waiting for the NLRB certification before considering contract negotiation.

Hall said there are tentative plans to meet with the company Friday to discuss scheduling talks. CPU formed about two years ago when Hall and other former members of the USW local became dissatisfied with contract negotiators from United Steelworkers International. The split came after more than a year of failed contract negotiations between USW Local 8-675 and MeadWestvaco.

Meanwhile, in a letter dated Oct. 9, the Association of Western Pulp and Paper Workers informed CPU it would welcome its affiliation with the Portland, Ore.-based union. Hall said any related discussion will not be started unless sought by CPU members. But he said AWPPW is "ready to come and present what they have to offer."

Hall said he believes USW and CPU eventually will reconcile.

"I think that, in the end, the majority of people will come back together," he said.