Minooka's Striking Bus Drivers Cite Fair Share, Equipment Issues

Pay rates, fair share and the condition of buses are among reasons local bus drivers called for a strike at 5:30 a.m. Thursday morning.

Teamsters Local 179 picketed all day at the Minooka Transportation Center and showed up to the Minooka High School District 111 board meeting, citing issues with buses, such as broken equipment, and according to the Herald News, fair share — when non-union members pay dues. The union merged in November to include drivers from District 111 and District 201.

The Herald News quoted Cindy Krause, who drives a new propane bus in the district. She was among those attending the board meeting. Her bus's radio hasn't worked since March 2015, she said.

“We’ve got issues here. Wake up,” Krause said, in the Herald News report. “We’ve got maintenance issues, we’ve got safety concerns, it’s not about the pay.”

District 111 Superintendent Kenneth Lee sent a Thursday evening update to parents emphasizing his commitment to providing students with sound transportation to and from the classroom.

"We want to also assure you that our fleet is safe and that our buses have passed all mandated inspections," it said. "Our drivers are fully trained to perform pre-trip inspections, and we have mechanics on staff to respond to bus repair needs."

To get students to school these past two days, Minooka's two high school districts have been combining efforts and tapping drivers who are not striking. Emailed alerts to parents indicated that classes were cut 10 minutes early on Thursday and Friday to make time for that contingency plan.

"We are proud of and grateful for the bus drivers and bus aides who came to work today," Lee said. "We sincerely appreciate their commitment to our students and families."

He also noted that the district has proposed three mediation sessions to the union's federal negotiator. As of early Friday morning, the union had not responded.

"Please know we are still in hopes of settling this contract with the bus drivers and bus aides represented by the Teamsters Local 179 and getting back to our regular schedule," Lee said.