CINCINNATI — School bus drivers employed by First Student, the private contractor that transports students for Princeton City Schools, plan to strike Oct. 1 after a final bargaining session on Sept. 29 ended without an agreement.
According to a press release, the drivers' contract expires Sept. 30. The union and First Student had agreed to extend the old contract through August and September to continue negotiations.
The release states that many of the drivers earn wages low enough to qualify for Medicaid. First Student provides no medical or prescription coverage to its drivers, and others purchase coverage through the state exchange out of their own wages.
At a bargaining session on Sept. 23, First Student raised its wage offer by five cents over three years, according to the release.
The union's most recent proposal called for $3.00 per hour in year one, $2.00 in year two and $2.00 in year three. It also included a five-and-a-half-hour daily route guarantee, additional pay for drivers who cover routes left open by staffing shortages, and contract language requiring First Student to report accurate wage information to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.
According to the release, when the union proposed basic bronze-level health coverage, First Student countered with no wage increases for three years and a requirement that drivers pay half the premium.
Families of students in Princeton City Schools and the non-public schools First Student serves should make other arrangements for getting their children to school until an agreement is reached, according to the release.
The drivers serve students in Sharonville, Glendale, Lincoln Heights, Evendale, Woodlawn, and Springdale.
