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Amanda Prestigiacomo


NextImg:Hochul Presser Spirals With Arrest Threats For Striking Officers: ‘Catch Every Single One Of Them’

New York Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul on Tuesday repeatedly attacked corrections officers across the state for striking over unsafe work conditions and long mandated shifts that officers say can last numerous days at a time.

About 15,000 corrections officers statewide are on strike and protesting over their concerns about safety being ignored for too long, officers say. Specifically, officers have cited Democrat-backed legislation, such as the HALT Act, and the closing of numerous prisons, for creating an unsafe work environment. 

Speaking to the press about the escalating strike, Hochul confirmed that she’s taking legal moves to have striking officers arrested.

“Has anyone been arrested?” a reporter asked the governor, to which she responded, “The proceedings have started. I think we have 380 people on the first list through the attorney general’s office and they’re being served by state police as we speak. This is in violation of law.”  

Hochul suggested that she had state troopers serve papers with the threat of arrest to striking officers as a scare tactic, but since they didn’t back down, she’ll continue down the path to having these officers arrested “in batches.”

The governor brought up Marcos Gonzalez Soler, who serves as Deputy Secretary for Public Safety, for more details on the legal proceedings. He suggested all 15,000 would be addressed legally if need be.

“We will go to catch every single one of them until they’ve returned to work,” Gonzalez Soler told the media.

Hochul further claimed that officers are the ones creating safety issues and repeatedly said that she doesn’t know what striking officers want.

The work stoppage started on February 17, with officers from two New York prisons striking over unsafe conditions. The movement quickly swelled in support, and now nine out of ten officers across 38 of the state’s 42 prisons are participating.

The strike has not been sanctioned by the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOPBA), which is the government-affiliated union for corrections officers, making this a “wildcat strike.” Hochul has repeatedly called the strike “illegal,” citing violation of the Taylor Law. 

The strike was sparked just days after officials locked down the Collins Correctional Facility in Erie County due to an inmate uprising, and a memo was circulated by the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) advising prison superintendents to effectively cut 30% of staff by the end of the month, though the DOCCS has since said that would mainly apply to “vacant positions.”

The governor has deployed 6,500 National Guard members to run the prisons and is working to consolidate inmates due to the lack of coverage. Hochul has ordered the state to stop paying for health insurance for those on strike, and the DOCCS is docking two days of pay for every day an officer remains on strike. 

Mediation between the two sides began on Monday, with a reported offer from the state for two times the hourly rate for overtime, the nixing of that controversial staff-reduction memo, and suspension of certain provisions in the HALT Act. However, the New York State Senate blocked a proposal to repeal the HALT Act on Tuesday.

Officers, though, reportedly want more guarantees for safety and are skeptical of promised concessions due to Hochul’s comments and actions. 

Related: Everything You Need To Know About The Corrections Officers Strike In NY