Dayton bus drivers went on strike starting Monday, January 9.
Among their demands are higher wages and retirement pay,
and adjusting the route schedules so that drivers
can go to the restroom SOMEtime during the day!
Still in operation are the special vehicles that transport
handicapped people who can't be accommodated by regular buses.

Two elected leaders are speaking out on the situation:
Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley (D), and State Rep. Niraj Antani (R).
Both are expressing concern that the strike
hurts poor, working class people the hardest.
30,000 people depend on the bus service for daily transportation
to work, school, etc.
This includes 4,000 high school students
who ride the buses to school.

Nan Whaley is about as left wing as you can find.
She is a strong proponent of making Dayton "immigrant friendly."

Niraj Antani is a tea party guy, and the son of immigrants from India.
He's the youngest member of the Ohio House of Representatives.
His district centers on Miamisburg,
a demographic cross-section of America.

Neither politician has direct authority over the RTA
(Regional Transportation Authority)
But Mr Antani could introduce a bill in the Ohio House
that would declare the bus service to be a public necessity,
and would make strikes illegal, just like it's illegal for
police and firefighters to go on strike.

The union is saying that they are prepared to stay on strike
for as much a five weeks, if that's what it takes
for their demands to be met.

Hmm... five weeks.  The should be able to replace all of them in less then 5 weeks.  Problems solved.