Lakota School Bus Drivers Strike Over On-Board Camera Concerns

Lakota Local School District bus drivers voted to go on strike on Aug. 31 after failing to reach an agreement with Lakota’s bussing contractor Petermann Transportation.

“We are extremely disappointed with this outcome and the impact it will have on our students and their families,” newly-appointed district superintendent Elizabeth Lolli wrote in an update to parents. “Representatives from Petermann and the drivers’ union will continue to meet in an effort to reach an agreement.”

In an earlier announcement about the threat of the strike, Lolli said the contract issues were centered on “accountability and safety,” rather than pay. In an email response to CityBeat, district spokesperson Betsy Fuller said the reference to “safety” was about camera monitoring on school buses.

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The Lakota School District said the bus drivers’ issues are centered on safety, not pay.

“Dr. Lolli’s statement about safety refers to the consistent use of cameras on buses. We have no concerns about Petermann meeting the State’s requirements regarding bus safety,” Fuller said.

Neither Petermann Transportation or Teamsters Local 100 responded to CityBeat‘s request for comment by press time, but the union did release a statement on Facebook saying Petermann walked away from the negotiating table:

Teamsters Local 100 President Bill Davis told the crowd this morning, “Petermann has put themselves on strike…. Petermann walked away from negotiations when they dropped their “Last, Best, and Final Offer.” Lakota Officials are obligated to provide transportation to their students under the Ohio Revised Code. We encourage Lakota Schools | District Communication to use their leverage with Petermann Bus to have them return to the negotiating table with a just and fair contract offer that meets the reasonable demands of their drivers and monitors.

Students with disabilities will be prioritized if some drivers choose to work, regardless of the strike, Lolli said. It’s unclear how many Lakota students depend on the bus systems to get to school, but Lakota Local School District spans 63 square miles, serving 17,400 students in Liberty and West Chester townships.

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The district has instructed parents to be patient and collaborative for student drop-off as the strike continues:

As we shared previously, we understand that this puts an enormous burden on our parents who normally rely on busing for their children. Through the duration of the strike:

Students will not be marked tardy or absent if they are unable to find transportation to school on the day(s) the strike is in force.

Please consider carpools to get students to and from school.

For everyone’s safety, please be patient during drop-off and pick-up due to the increased number of vehicles.

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This article appears in Aug 23 – Sep 5, 2023.