Thursday, Oct. 1, was the first day of the indefinite strike for the Princeton City School bus drivers that transport more than 5,000 students each day.
The strike comes after the bus drivers, represented by the Ohio Association of Public School Employees, were unable to come to a contract agreement with private contractor First Student in a Sept. 29 bargaining session.
The drivers, many of whom are Princeton alum, are demanding higher wages after years of no medical or prescription coverage and what they say has been unlivable pay.
Princeton City Schools has a contract with multinational company First Student for student transportation, but the district says it is not a part of the contract negotiations.
"If we can't have a livable wage, we can't pay
for fuel to even get to work, we can't give food to our family. What's the point?" Tarelle Harris, a Princeton bus driver and alum, said at Thursday's strike demonstration.
"We have to make money just like the kids have to learn," Harris said.
After 30 years as a bus driver for Princeton City Schools, Jammie Coburn said on Oct. 1 she misses the kids, who call her "Ms. C." But she believes strongly in the need for change.
"We're out here because we love the kids, and we know that if the district and First Student can come together to (increase) our wages, we could do the job that we've already loved to do," Coburn said.
It was in 2014 when the district outsourced its bus drivers to First Student, Coburn said, during which the drivers' benefits shrunk significantly. As a result, nearly half of the drivers left the district, shrinking the workforce from 70 to around 35 drivers, she said.
"A lot of times the people stayed just for the fact that they were loyal to the district," Coburn said. "It takes a lot to just be a bus driver ... We treat these kids like they're ours."
School will continue as normal, district says
In an update to families posted on Sept. 29, the district said schools will stay open amid the strike, with students and staff expected to report as usual. But families will not be penalized for transportation-related attendance issues starting Oct. 1, it stated.
Students unable to attend school during this time will be offered remote learning options, Princeton City Schools added.
Superintendent Mari Phillips said the district was not told directly by union leadership that members planned to strike, but administrators have been preparing contingencies since last week.
“We just want to make sure that hopefully we can get our kids back to normalcy as soon as possible,” Phillips said.
First Student's wage offer was 'slap in the face,' driver says
Derryl Hall, the drivers' union representative, said on Oct. 1 that they first sought a reasonable insurance package for Princeton schools' bus drivers. But when that did not come to fruition, the union pivoted to securing higher wages.
Hall added that several drivers earn so little that they qualify for Medicaid.
Union negotiators previously sought:
- A $3-per-hour raise in the first year, followed by $2 in each of the next two years.
- A 5.5-hour daily route guarantee.
- Extra pay for covering open routes.
- Requirements for accurate wage reporting to state unemployment agencies.
First Student issued an updated statement on Sept. 23, saying it presented a refreshed contract offer that included an average wage increase of approximately 27% over a four-year agreement.
The company's offer amounted to a raise of five cents over three years, the union stated in a Sept. 29 news release.
"I felt like it was a slap in the face," Coburn said about First Student's offer.
"These drivers get Princeton's kids to school and back home safely every day, and they are the reason First Student makes money on this contract," Hall stated in the release. "Offering them another nickel over three years tells you how the company values them. Nobody wants a strike, but First Student has left them no other choice."
What is First Student?
With headquarters on Second Street in downtown Cincinnati, First Student provides transportation services at over 530 locations across the United States and Canada. It operates over 48,000 vehicles across North America and said it makes about 4.8 million student journeys daily.
Enquirer media partner Fox19 contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Princeton City school bus drivers speak out on why they're striking
