Contract talks between Princeton City Schools bus drivers and First Student collapsed Tuesday, Oct. 6, with each side blaming the other for the breakdown.

The strike by OAPSE/AFSCME Local 184 drivers, in its sixth day as of Tuesday, disrupted regular First Student transportation for thousands of students across Sharonville, Woodlawn, Springdale and Evendale. Union President Tarelle Harris told WCPO 9 that the strike would continue Wednesday, Oct. 7, and that no new bargaining session is planned. Harris said talks would resume only when First Student presents a better offer.

First Student, in a statement Tuesday evening, said the union did not present a counterproposal and ended the session abruptly. The company said it came prepared to negotiate and remains willing to return to the table.

The walkout began at 12:01 a.m. Oct. 1 after the previous contract expired following a two-month extension. Health insurance is a central issue. Lead negotiator Derryl Hall said during the strike's first week that many drivers rely on Medicaid, Medicare or plans purchased through the Affordable Care Act because First Student does not provide employer-paid coverage.

The union is seeking $3-per-hour raises in the first year and $2 per hour in each of the next two years, a 5.5-hour daily route guarantee and extra pay for covering open routes, according to Fox 19. First Student has said its latest proposal offers an average starting wage of about $25 per hour, rising above $40 per hour by year four based on tenure, an average increase of about 27% over a four-year contract.

Parents are feeling the strain.

Simone Simmons, who has six children in three schools, told WCPO she kept her kids home Tuesday. "It's five or six trips a day that I'm making just to get all of them back and forth to school," she said.

Chelzi Schilt, who works third shift, said she called off work and waited 45 minutes to pick up her ninth-grade son. "I'm on a third shift schedule. I'm up when I'm supposed to be sleeping right now," Schilt told WCPO.

Princeton City Schools is not a party to the contract negotiations, according to a district statement issued when the strike began. The district has secured limited alternative routes through UTS and other vendors but said it cannot fully replace the bus fleet. Superintendent Dr. Mari Phillips said in an Oct. 5 statement the district remains confident the dispute can be resolved through mediation.

WCPO reported that it asked the district whether it has considered bringing transportation in-house. Princeton City Schools had not responded as of Tuesday evening. Neither side has announced a date for the next bargaining session.