The New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOPBA) has rejected a proposed agreement to end an 18-day strike, citing a lack of union involvement in the negotiation process. Despite offering provisions to address overtime pay, staffing levels, and salary increases, union leaders argued that the deal did not serve the best interests of its members.
One of the key proposals included the formation of a committee to review the HALT Act, a law officers blame for escalating violence in state prisons. While legislative leaders have expressed a willingness to amend the act, a full repeal remains unlikely. The agreement also promised officers double time and a half for overtime during the first 30 days after returning to work.
With NYSCOPBA refusing to sign the deal, individual officers at each correctional facility must now decide whether to resume their duties. Meanwhile, the state is ramping up pressure, threatening to terminate those who do not return and revoke their health insurance benefits.
New York’s Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) has taken the unprecedented step of bypassing union leadership, directly offering a return-to-work agreement to striking officers. Commissioner Daniel Martuscello announced that the offer includes reinstating health insurance, temporarily maintaining 12-hour shifts, and rescinding a prior staff reduction memo.
Despite verbal agreements with NYSCOPBA leaders, the union declined to sign off on the arrangement. DOCCS officials insist that this is the final offer, warning that there will be no further negotiations regarding contempt charges related to the strike.
State officials have also threatened legal action against officers who refuse to return to work by Friday. Commissioner Jackie Bray emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating, “We need you back.” According to DOCCS, the offer is only valid for those who resume their posts by the end of the week.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected].