The final votes from members of the National Association ofProfessional Allstate Agents (NAPAA) to decide whether to affiliateand form a guild with the Office and Professional EmployeesInternational Union (OPIEIU) are now being sent to New York to becounted.

Votes are being sent via secret mail ballot, administered by theAmerican Arbitration Assoc. A spokeswoman with OPEIU says the lastmail pick-up with be at 9 a.m. tomorrow and votes will be countedstarting at 10 a.m.

NAPAA, citing a decline in morale among Allstate agents and aneed to defend its interests as small business owners, decided topoll its membership after Michael Goodwin, president of OPEIU,pitched NAPAA on the advantages of affiliation at the association'slatest national meeting.

NAPAA alleges Allstate has taken advantage of agents.Though they are independent contractors, NAPAA says Allstate treatsthem as employees, but without benefits or protections. Anaffiliation with OPEIU could give NAPAA better aces to legislativeassistance and legal expertise and it may lead to more agentsjoining NAPAA.

OPEIU represents 125,000 employees and guild members and is alsoaffiliated with the American Federation of Labor and Congress ofIndustrial Organizations (AFL-CIO).

NAPAA represents 12 percent of the Northbrook, Ill.-basedinsurer's agent workforce.