The United States government has fired over 2,000 prison guards across various correctional facilities in New York for failing to work after months of participating in a wildcat strike.
The guards were terminated for violating state law prohibiting strikes by most public employees, as the action was not sanctioned by the guards’ union.
This comes after prison guards, upset over working conditions, began illegally walking off the job on February 17 at multiple state prisons, forcing Governor Kathy Hochul to send National Guard troops to maintain operations.
“Termination letters have been sent to over 2,000 officers who remained on strike. Officers and sergeants who did not have approved medical leave and didn’t return by this morning’s 6:45 a.m. deadline have been terminated effective immediately,” Commissioner Daniel Martuscello announced during a virtual press briefing Tuesday.
Martuscello said the National Guard would remain in place at prisons in a support position while the department undertakes an aggressive recruiting campaign to attract additional employees.
“Approximately 10,000 security staff are available to work in prisons across the state, down from about 13,500 before the wildcat strike,” he added.
According to the Commissioner, the state and guard union have struck a deal to end the strike, contingent on at least 85% of staff returning to work. Although the return rate fell short of the 85% target, Martuscello said the state would honor the deal’s overtime and some other provisions.
Like other deals, this one addresses a key complaint of the striking guards with a 90-day suspension of a provision of a state law that limits the use of solitary confinement.
Guards will work 12-hour shifts, and the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision will not discipline officers who participated in the strike if they returned by the deadline.
