Boardman school board, union hit an impasse
BOARDMAN -- The Ohio Association of Public School Employees Local 334 union and the township school board are at impasse in negotiations.
The union represents bus drivers, cafeteria workers, secretaries, maintenance staff and teachers' aides.
Federal mediation has been requested to address issues of wages, working conditions and health-care benefits. The previous contract expired in summer 2003.
Superintendent Don Dailey said the district has 300 nonclassified employees eligible to join the union. The union represents 65 staff members.
Dailey said the school board is hopeful that any issues can be resolved through mediation.
Should a strike take place, however, class would go on without interruption.
"We would do everything within the law to keep the schools open and running," he said. "We want to resolve this through mediation. We want to be positive and not paint a strike picture at this time."
Dailey said, in the event of a strike, parents would have to transport their children to and from school or substitute drivers would be hired. Substitute cafeteria workers also likely would be hired, he added.