FCS withdraws determination of unauthorized strike

0

FAIRBORN — Fairborn City Schools has withdrawn its motion to determine whether an unauthorized strike took place Monday among district bus drivers.

A State Employee Relations Board (SERB) emergency meeting was scheduled on Thursday morning to discuss the matter. The board and DPSU Labor Union, which represents Fairborn bus drivers, agreed to resolve the request for an unauthorized strike determination prior to the meeting.

“The Board and the DPSU Labor Union agree that due to a high amount of absences on Monday, October 12, 2020, there was an interruption in District operations,” the district said in a statement released later that day. “The DPSU Labor Union will continue to commit to not unlawfully encouraging, inciting or otherwise sanctioning any work stoppage, slow down or interruption in District operations.”

The board district filed a formal Request for Determination of Unauthorized Strike with SERB on Tuesday after an unusually high number of bus drivers called in sick. With little to no advance notice, the district was forced to shut down in-person instruction on Monday.

The determination request includes a letter by attorneys Bricker and Eckler, which states that the district received information that members of the union had met in a board parking lot to “discuss their unfounded concerns with the District’s COVID-19 response plan.”

“Upon information and belief, it was at this meeting the Union members determined they would organize a “sick-out” on October 12, 2020 and potentially beyond,” the letter says.

AFSCME Ohio Council 8, the parent organization of DPSU, has previously stated there was no unauthorized or planned strike by union members.

Bus drivers called off in large numbers again on Wednesday, this time due to COVID-19. Parents of traditional students had to drive their children to school that day.

Fairborn City Schools sent a notification to families via TEC on Thursday stating bus routes would run as normal. No major disruptions in transportation on Thursday were reported.

By London Bishop

[email protected]

Reach London Bishop at (937) 502-4532

or follow @LBishopFDH on Twitter

No posts to display