Lakota Local School District bus drivers on strike after voting no to offer

Madeline Mitchell, Cincinnati Enquirer
Updated ·2 min read
Lakota Local School District bus drivers are on strike after voting no to an offer from the district’s contracted transportation provider, Petermann.
Lakota Local School District bus drivers are on strike after voting no to an offer from the district’s contracted transportation provider, Petermann.

Check here for updates: Bus drivers strike at Lakota Local School District - no service for thousands of students

Lakota Local Schools District bus drivers voted to go on strike Thursday evening after failing to reach an agreement with Petermann Transportation, the company Lakota contracts with for busing.

"We are extremely disappointed with this outcome and the impact it will have on our students and their families," Lakota Interim Superintendent Elizabeth Lolli wrote to district families Thursday evening. "We are hoping for a quick resolution and will update you as soon as we have more information from Petermann."

It's not certain how long the strike will last. Union leaders and Petermann representatives are continuing to meet in an effort to reach an agreement, the letter reads.

The strike, effective immediately, means that starting Friday morning students will need to find alternative ways to get to and from school. It also impacts parochial and private school students who utilize Lakota transportation, and after school activities including athletics.

Lakota East High School plays an away game this Friday. The school’s athletic department says they need four buses to take the team to away games, but are exploring other options such as having players drive themselves during the strike.

Teamsters Local 100 President Bill Davis said the contract between Petermann and the bus drivers’ union expired June 30. In the new contract, Davis said the union is pushing for more support in terms of technology and discipline. Lakota requested additional accountability and safety measures in the contract, too, though the district is not directly involved in negotiations.

The district will not mark students tardy or absent if they are unable to find transportation to school during the strike, according to Lakota's website. Any drivers who choose to work despite the strike will prioritize transporting students with disabilities.

Drop-off and dismissal times will be extended at Lakota schools during the strike. Additional information can be found on the district's website.

Enquirer media partner Fox19 contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Lakota Local School District bus strike: Union votes no Thursday night