State seeks to tighten the screws against striking corrections officers | News | romesentinel.com

Striking corrections officers hold signs as they protest outside the Midstate Correctional Facility and Marcy Correctional Facility on Wednesday, Feb. 19. Mediation efforts resumed today, state and union officials said, in hopes of ending the nearly two-week old strike.

ROME/MARCY — Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that 15,000 correctional officers, who have been on strike for over a week without union approval, may face legal action as the state continues to try to mitigate staffing shortages across its prison system through a variety of actions from relocating inmates to the use of National Guard troops.

Those ranks include dozens of corrections officers at the three area state prisons — the Marcy Correctional Facility and the Midstate Correctional Facility, both in Marcy, and the Mohawk Correctional Facility in Rome — who continued to walk picket lines, which began over concerns about long working hours and other working conditions. The strike, Hochul said, violates New York's Taylor Law.

Although the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) reported that several hundred officers have returned to work, thousands remain on strike, which drew a rebuke from Hochul and other state officials.

"Let me be clear, the illegal actions being taken by a number of individuals is putting the entire state at risk," she said in televised remarks on Tuesday, which marked Day Nine of the strike.

"We offered them amnesty after a day or two, they could have gone back. You’ve made your point," Hochul said. "Thank you, we hear you, I get it, the hours and shifts are too long."

Gov. Hochul says wildcat strike by New York prison guards must end 'immediately'

Hochul said that state police began serving restraining orders over the weekend, with 380 officers served so far. She said the amnesty offer is off the table and workers continuing to strike will be served in batches by state troopers.

"Administratively, it takes some time," Hochul said. "The attorney general’s office has to run conflicts check, that takes some time. Our state police have to identify locations where to serve process. We've done everything we can to encourage them to get back to work. They know they are in violation of the New York State Taylor Law. They also are in violation of a temporary restraining order to return to work."

Corrections officers also received the following text message, according to reports: "This message is from the New York State Office of Employee Relations. You are being contacted because there is an ongoing illegal strike of corrections officers. AWOL employees will be docked pay, jeopardize their health insurance, risk termination, be subject to strike penalties, and risk further civil and criminal penalties."

James Miller, director of public relations for the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOPBA), issued a statement on Wednesday morning. "Day 2 of mediation concluded last night at approximately 9 p.m., and the discussions continued with the State and DOCCS on the main concerns of those members still engaged in the labor dispute," the statement said. "There was progress made on several issues, but nothing significant to report at this time. Third day of mediation begins at 1 p.m. today."

Among the items that have been discussed as part of the mediation process, Miller said, included the need for operational changes within DOCCS, including suspending certain provisions of the HALT Act regarding solitary confinement and other penalties, recruitment efforts for new corrections officers, eliminating triple shifts, and no departmental discipline for members being considered absent without leave.

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