MORGAN COUNTY, OHIO, Ohio — Employees at Morgan Local Schools in Morgan County went on strike on Wednesday.
Students went to school remotely because the local union is demanding a better contract from the district. The district said what they've offered is fair.
Members of the union Local 51 told 10TV their contract expired last year.
Tom Quaintance, the president of the union and a bus driver for the school, said the union represents many employees.
"It's the mechanics, it’s the maintenance workers, the secretaries, the aids, the cooks, the custodians, “he said.
Quaintance said the board and union met on Tuesday evening and made a lot of accomplishments, but they couldn’t come to common ground on wages.
“We're just trying to make a living in this remote area,” he said.
The superintendent of Morgan Local Schools sent 10TV a letter on Wednesday, which said, “Our last offer to OAPSE was a very fair one as it met the union in the middle and included a total raise package of over 13% over three years (5% in year one, 4% in year two and 4%).”
Members of the union want more.
“I don't think that's quite acceptable being the rate of inflation that is it now,” said Quaintance.
The district said the district says students will be remote the rest of this week and a decision will be made soon on whether students can go back to in-person learning starting Monday. If not, remote learning will continue.
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