New York corrections officials offer striking prison guards deal over objections of union leaders
New York corrections officials offer striking prison guards deal over objections of union leaders
NEW YORK (AP) — New York corrections officials implored striking prison guards on Thursday to take a last-chance deal to return to work without repercussions, over the objections of their union leaders.
Daniel Martuscello, commissioner of the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, said the deal, offered as the illegal wildcat strike reached its 18th day, only applies to those returning to their shifts Friday.
He said the offer reflects provisions sought by striking workers he met on picket lines in recent days.
Among them are promises that striking officers wouldn’t face discipline when they return to work, the reinstatement of those already fired for walking off the job and an immediate restoration of their health insurance benefits.
It also includes other concessions offered in a prior deal that was ultimately not honored by workers, such as a 90-day suspension of a state law limiting the use of solitary confinement, which staff have blamed for making prisons less safe.
“I heard my workforce,” Martuscello said in a Zoom call outlining the deal, which the department also posted on its website. “This delivers the things they asked for.”
Jackie Bray, commissioner of the state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, warned the deal would not be offered again.
She said the state would continue to take disciplinary action against those who refuse to return to work by Friday, including firing staff and pursuing “all remedies — criminal and civil — to end this illegal strike.”
Bray said state officials turned over some 1,000 names of striking workers to state Attorney General Letitia James’ office for potential contempt charges.
“We want you back. We need you back. You need to come back to work tomorrow,” she said.
A spokesperson for the New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
Earlier Thursday, the union, which represents more than 13,000 prison staffers, said it would not sign off on the latest offer, maintaining that “substantial legal issues” remain unaddressed.
“NYSCOPBA was not appropriately engaged in the development of the currently circulating agreement,” the union said in a statement. “This agreement was not negotiated with NYSCOPBA — the legally recognized entity through which all negotiations must be conducted.”
Prison guards began walking off the job Feb. 17 in protest of working conditions, in violation of state law barring walkouts by most public employees.
Gov. Kathy Hochul has deployed thousands of members of the state National Guard to prisons in response.
Last Thursday, the Democrat announced a binding agreement between the state and officers union to end the picketing. Officers were required to return to work by Saturday to avoid being disciplined for striking.
The deal included a temporary bump in overtime pay and ways to address staffing shortages and minimize mandatory 24-hour overtime shifts, among other things.
Meanwhie, 15 staffers have been placed on leave as state police investigate Saturday’s death of Messiah Nantwi, a 22-year-old who was incarcerated at the Mid-State Correctional Facility in Marcy.
The killing comes after six guards were charged with murder in the December death of Robert Brooks, who was incarcerated at the Marcy Correctional Facility, across the street from the Mid-State prison.
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Follow Philip Marcelo at twitter.com/philmarcelo.
By PHILIP MARCELO
Associated Press
