Butler County officials were stunned by the government center workers' rejection of contract offers last week.

"We were really surprised," said county Commissioner Dale Pinkerton, board chairman. "I had the feeling it would fly. It didn't. I don't know where we go from here."

Commissioner Jim Lokhaiser agreed the voting results were unexpected. "I couldn't believe it," he said Tuesday.

Lokhaiser said he doesn't know why union workers rejected the offers.

"I'm extremely disappointed," he said. "I don't know why. That's what bothers me."

Eric Dodd, union steward for county workers belonging to Service Employees International Union 668, confirmed the offers were rejected, but referred further questions to the union.

Laura Kowalski, business agent for SEIU Local 668, which represents a total of 300 county workers, couldn't be reached for comment.

Although county officials didn't have an exact vote tally, Lokhaiser was told the offers were rejected by an overwhelming margin.

He said the previous contract rejections were much closer votes.

During the earlier June 3 voting, 71 out of 127 workers rejected previous proposals.

Lokhaiser said he's concerned the union isn't keeping the "rank and file" fully informed on what's contained in contract offers.

About 200 workers at Sunnyview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center also are working without a current contract.

The last contracts for all 340 affected employees expired Nov. 30.

About 160 court-related workers at the county courthouse received an arbitration award earlier this year.

Under the terms of that arbitration ruling, court employees got a 2.5 percent pay hike and must pay a portion of their health benefit costs through a 1.5 percent paycheck deduction.

Pinkerton pointed out with new contracts, which would have employees paying a portion of their health benefits, the county's budget crunch would not be as bad.

Throughout contract talks, the county proposed the union workers contribute the same amount as its nonunion employees and court-related workers already do for health care costs: the 1.5 percent paycheck deduction.

Pinkerton said layoffs could still occur due to the county's financial situation.

"We actually monitor it on a daily basis," he said. "Without a state budget, it's a tremendous amount of stress on everybody."