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MCCONNELSVILLE -- The strike of non-teaching school employees at Morgan Local Schools ended Sunday, with more than 100 union members returning to work Monday.
Tom Quaintance, president of Ohio Association of Public School Employees Local 51, said the ordeal was a little stressful but he was glad to be back to work.
"It was nice seeing the kids again," Quaintance said. "Things should be back to normal and up and running by the end of the week."
The strike, which began on March 1, saw bus drivers, mechanics, aides, cafeteria workers and other members of the OAPSE Local 51 go on strike after not reaching an agreement with the district on a new contract, largely over the amount of pay increases.
"In an emergency session (Sunday), the Morgan Board of Education unanimously approved a new three-year contract with OAPSE Local 51," Morgan Local Schools Superintendent Kristin Barker said in a statement and a post on social media on Monday. "All OAPSE-represented employees returned to their school assignments this morning. School buses picked up students this morning on their regular route schedules."
In a Facebook post Friday evening, Barker said that working together, the board and Local 51 reached a tentative contract agreement with the help of a federal mediator. The post said the tentative contract includes a total raise package of over 14% over three years, with 6% in year one, 4% in year two and 4% in year three. This is in addition to yearly step wage increases.
"It wasn't quite what we were asking for but I think we did pretty well," Quaintance said.
He said many of the workers were ready to just get back to work.
"We're all thrilled to have the new agreement in place," Barker said in Monday's post. "We are happy to get back to work together so we can continue to provide our children with the best educational experience possible."
Barker said in the social media post that both sides must now take on the hard work of healing after the strike.
"We all represent Morgan Local Schools, we have solid working relationships reaching back years -- and in some cases, decades -- and I have great confidence that together as professionals, we will put strike experiences behind us and move forward with mutual respect to serve the best interests of the students, families and community we serve," Barker said.
Quaintance said he would like to thank the citizens, businesses and unions that reached out to help Local 51. He said they helped tremendously.