The National Labor Relations Board in Washington last week turned down a request by medical area office workers to reconsider its earlier refusal to arbitrate directly in the workers' dispute with the University.

Authority to decide on the University and District 65 of the Distributive Workers of America's request to be included in a University-wide bargaining unit now rebounds to Robert Fuchs, the Board's regional director in Boston.

Leslie Sullivan, organizer for the medical area workers said last month the request was made because her group felt that "a decision from the Boston Board would be a negative one" from the group's viewpoint, and that members would not accept Fuchs's decision as binding.