New York officials have fired more than 2,000 correctional officers for failing to return to work after a 22-day strike, which violated state laws prohibiting work stoppages by most public employees, FOX News reports.
Despite ongoing negotiations, the state enforced terminations after the majority of striking workers did not meet the return-to-work deadline set under a new agreement.
New York State Corrections Commissioner Daniel Martuscello announced on Monday that enough correctional officers had returned to their posts for the state to officially declare an end to the labor action. However, over 2,000 officers who did not report back by the 6:45 a.m. deadline were dismissed immediately.
“After 22 days of an illegal strike, the governor and I are happy to report it is now ended,” Martuscello said during a press briefing.
- The strike, which began on February 17, was not officially sanctioned by the guards’ union, the New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association.
- The state had deployed the National Guard to several prisons to cover staffing shortages, and they will continue providing support as the Department of Corrections launches a recruitment campaign.
- New York’s prison security workforce has now decreased from 13,500 to approximately 10,000 staff.
A new agreement reached over the weekend aimed to end the strike, but it required at least 85% of correctional staff to return by Monday morning. Although that threshold was not met, state officials stated they would still honor some provisions of the deal, including adjustments to overtime work.
Key elements of the agreement include:
- A 90-day suspension of a state law limiting the use of solitary confinement, allowing officials to reassess its impact on staff and inmate safety.
- A shift to 12-hour workdays for correctional officers.
- A provision preventing disciplinary action against officers who returned by the deadline.
The strike had significant consequences for prison conditions, with reports of worsening inmate welfare and rising tensions within facilities.
- Inmate Death Investigations:
- A special prosecutor is investigating the March 1 death of 22-year-old Messiah Nantwi at Mid-State Correctional Facility, following allegations from fellow inmates that he was severely beaten by guards. Fifteen staff members have been placed on administrative leave, and prosecutors believe up to nine officers may have been involved.
- In December, six guards were charged with murder in connection with the death of an inmate at Marcy Correctional Facility.
- Another inmate, 61-year-old Jonathon Grant, was found unresponsive in his Auburn Correctional Facility cell last month, though it remains unclear if staffing shortages played a role in his death.
