Princeton City Schools bus drivers are expected to return to work after a roughly two-week strikeunder a tentative agreement between the drivers' union and a school transportation contractor.
The agreement was ratified Oct. 14 by the Ohio Association of Public School Employees, the union representing the bus drivers, and drivers are slated to resume work on Oct. 20, according to Derryl Hall, a union representative.
The strike began Oct. 1 after bus drivers couldn't reach a contract agreement with private contractor First Student during a Sept. 29 bargaining session.
The drivers, many of whom are Princeton alumni, demanded higher wages after years of no medical or prescription coverage and what they say has been unlivable pay. The school district
has a contract with multinational company First Student for student transportation, but has said it is not part of the contract negotiations.
It's unclear what provisions the tentative agreement includes. 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.
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.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Princeton City Schools bus drivers to resume work amid tentative deal
