New York prison workers returning to work, but reluctant to end strike
Many of New York's striking prison guards returned to their jobs Saturday after the state told them to accept a mediator's offer or face termination.
Prison strike expected to end Saturday
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced late Thursday night a tentative agreement had been reached to end the strike.
"My top priority is the safety of all New Yorkers, and for the past 11 days, I have deployed every possible State resource to protect the well-being of correction officers, the incarcerated population and local communities across New York. Working with a mediator, we have reached a consent award to address many of the concerns raised by correction officers, put DOCCS back on the path to safe operations, respect the rights of incarcerated individuals and prevent future unsanctioned work stoppages," Hochul said in a statement. "I have the utmost respect and gratitude for the correction officers, civilian DOCCS employees, National Guard personnel and other staff who have done their absolute best to maintain order in our correctional facilities during this challenging period."
In a letter sent to members, the union strongly recommended they take the deal, warning those who don't return to work by Saturday would likely face termination.
Friday morning, the striking workers continued to discuss the state's offer, and many were unhappy with the proposed concessions. Regardless, the governor said the deal with the union was binding.
The offer includes a temporary bump in overtime pay, along with a 90-day suspension of HALT reforms, which limited the use of solitary confinement. The workers claim since the HALT Act took effect in 2022, assaults on prison staff have spiked and facilities have become less safe.
Some prison workers remain on picket lines
The striking members ended their walkout Friday at Sing Sing Correctional Facility in Westchester County, and many, but not all, reluctantly returned to work at Fishkill Correctional Facility in Dutchess County. Picket lines were reportedly still busy in upstate and western New York.
"Unfortunately for me, I have to go back to work. It's not something that I want to do and it's not something that I took lightly. I've cried real tears over this, ugly cried," one of the members at Fishkill said.
A spokesperson for the striking workers at Sing Sing told CBS News New York the state's concessions fell short, especially when it comes to HALT.
"It's watered down disciplinary for the incarcerated individuals. Basically, they're not being held accountable for attacking one of us or even each other, which is why it's so unsafe in there and why these attacks are more common now," Israel Sanchez said Friday morning.
Supporters of the HALT reforms say the law was intended to curb abuse, like putting incarcerated people in solitary for 23 hours a day for minor offenses.
"Correctional officers staged an unauthorized strike for more than a week, during which three more incarcerated individuals lost their lives," the Legal Aid Society wrote in a statement Friday. "The proposed deal between the state and the correctional union raises more questions than answers. When will correctional staff return to work? Will any officers be held accountable for breaking the law, endangering lives, and forcing people into prolonged cell confinement—missing medical care, legal visits, and family time? When does the 90-day emergency end? Most importantly, why hasn't the state taken meaningful action to address staffing shortages by granting clemency and closing obsolete prisons?"
A virtual lockdown on prison inmates
The end of the strike at Sing Sing also means the virtual lockdown on inmates will soon be lifted.
Reginald Goldman, who is incarcerated at the Ossining facility for a Bronx shooting, said he's trying to turn his life around through rehab programs, which were canceled during the strike.
"I would say not having no visits, not being able to see our family and friends ... Us being in our cells for this amount of time, it's messing with a lot of people mentally, because they're used to going to programs. They're used to working, they're used to keeping themselves productive," Goldman said.
For more than 10 days, corrections officers and sergeants at nearly all of the state's 42 prisons refused to show up for work, demanding the state address staffing and safety concerns. Hochul deployed thousands of National Guard members to maintain order, and the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision canceled all visitation.
The strike was not approved by the union and violated the state's Taylor Law. Hochul also obtained a court order that could have compelled the workers to return, while both sides met with a mediator.
