New York’s Bid To End Crippling Corrections Strike Faces Uncertain Future as Union Rejects the State’s Deal

Attempts to bring an end to the crippling corrections officers strike in New York are facing an uncertain future as the union representing the striking laborers is opposing the state’s latest offer aimed at ending the standoff. The New York Department of Corrections and the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services gave the striking laborers a choice to accept a deal to return to work or face consequences, up to criminal charges.The Albany Times Union reports that the deal appeared close to being approved and would bring thousands of officers back to work. Corrections officers walked off the job on February 17, citing “unsafe working conditions” as they pointed to rising violence in prisons. In 2019, there were 1,043 assaults on prison staff, which rose to 1,938 in the first 11 months of 2024. Assaults on inmates also rose to 2,697 during the first 11 months of 2024 from 1,267 in 2019.The deal would lead to a 90-day pause of the Humane Alternatives to Long-Term Solitary Confinement Act, which limits the use of solitary confinement and corrections officers say has contributed to the rise in violence. It would also direct the corrections department to look into adding TSA-style scanners to correctional facilities. Additionally, the deal includes pay raises and limitations on mandatory overtime. The commissioner of the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, Jackie Bray, said officers who did not return to work on Friday would face termination and even criminal contempt charges. However, the attempt to end the standoff hit a new roadblock as the union representing the more than 13,000 corrections officers, the New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association, released a statement in opposition to the deal as it expressed frustration that it was not sufficiently involved in the negotiations. “NYSCOPBA was not appropriately engaged in the development of the currently circulating agreement. This agreement was not negotiated with NYSCOPBA — the legally recognized entity through which all negotiations must be conducted,” the union said. “There are substantial legal issues that must be addressed … (and) at this time, NYSCOPBA will not be signing this agreement.”It was not clear what bearing the association’s statement would have on attempts to the wildcat strike. While state law prevents the strike, it was unclear if a deal struck between state officials and corrections officers would be legally binding. The union insists it is the legal entity through which negotiations to end the strike must take place. The union has been a source of frustration for observers who feel it did not do enough to head off the strike in the first place. The director of research at the Empire Center, Ken Girardin, says the union did not take advantage of legal steps to remedy the concerns of its members, which could have resolved some of the tensions that led to the walk-off. Mr. Girardin posted on X that it is “rich” that the union came out against the state’s deal to try to end the strike and suggested that Governor Hochul should not have tried to negotiate through the union to begin with.The strike spread to more than 30 prisons, with several facilities operating at about 25 percent of their normal staffing levels. During the strike, the state deployed 6,500 National Guard members to the prisons. During the strike, at least nine inmates have died. Two men at the Auburn Correctional Facility died after they did not receive medical treatment in time, and another inmate hanged himself.While it was unclear whether the state’s offer would end the strike or be legally binding, state officials say they will not offer to rescind terminations or drop contempt charges again.

New York’s Bid To End Crippling Corrections Strike Faces Uncertain Future as Union Rejects the State’s Deal

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