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New York fires 2,000 prison guards who refuse to return to work after wildcat strike

A new agreement between the state and the guards' union was reached over the weekend, contingent on 85% of staff returning by Monday morning.

Correction officers at Auburn Correctional Facility picket on the third day of their strike to protest unsafe working conditions, in Auburn, NY. (Kevin Rivoli/The Citizen via AP)

New York state officials have declared the end of a 22-day illegal strike by prison guards, despite failing to meet the return-to-work target. Commissioner Daniel Martuscello announced the conclusion of the strike during a virtual briefing, stating, “After 22 days of an illegal strike, the governor and I are happy to report it is now ended.”

A new agreement between the state and the guards’ union was reached over the weekend, contingent on 85% of staff returning by Monday morning. While the actual return fell short of this goal, Martuscello confirmed that the state would honor the deal’s provisions regarding overtime and other benefits.

To address the staffing shortages, the National Guard will remain stationed at prisons in a support capacity. Additionally, the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision will launch an aggressive recruitment campaign. Currently, approximately 10,000 security staff are available, a decrease from the pre-strike level of 13,500.

The state took decisive action against non-compliant guards. “Termination letters have been sent to over 2,000 officers who remained on strike,” Martuscello stated. “Officers and sergeants who did not have preapproved medical leave and didn’t return by this morning, 6:45 a.m. deadline, have been terminated effective immediately.”

Also Read | New York police launch probe into inmate death as prison system roiled by illegal guard strike

The strike, which began on February 17th, was an unauthorized walkout by guards protesting working conditions. This action prompted Governor Kathy Hochul to deploy the National Guard to maintain prison operations. Inmates reported deteriorating conditions during the strike.

The walkout violated state law prohibiting public employee strikes and was not sanctioned by the guards’ union, the New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association. Previous attempts to end the strike had failed.

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The new agreement, like its predecessors, addressed guard concerns by temporarily suspending a provision limiting solitary confinement, implementing 12-hour shifts, and granting amnesty to returning officers. Multiple inmate deaths occurred during the strike, though the direct impact of strike-related conditions remains unclear.

The death of 22-year-old Messiah Nantwi at Mid-State Correctional Facility on March 1st is under investigation by Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick, acting as a special prosecutor. Court filings indicate “probable cause to believe” that up to nine correctional officers may be implicated in Nantwi’s death. Fifteen prison staffers have been placed on leave.

This investigation follows another recent case where six guards were charged with murder in the December death of Robert Brooks at Marcy Correctional Facility, located across from Mid-State prison.