Local officers hold the line despite claim strike is over

COXSACKIE, N.Y. (NEWS10) — The correctional officer’s strike has finally come to an end. It has been 22 days of the illegal strike, and the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) announced that the workers who have returned to work have accepted the deal that the state put forth over the weekend. “After 22 days of an illegal strike, the governor and I are happy to report it has now ended,” said Daniel Martuscello, Commissioner of DOCCS.

The deal signed by DOCCS and NYSCOBA will suspend the HALT Act for 90 days and allow DOCCS to suspend it again under emergency situations. Officers overtime rate will be set at two and a half times pay. The deal also includes protections for striking employees and will reinstate health insurance for employees considered awol. 

The strike may be over, or is it? Some say not so fast.  Dozens of officers in Coxsackie are still holding the line even though they might be out of a job. “It actually is not over. They are trying to say it is over for a second time. Last week they put out the same thing,” said retired correction officer, sergeant Rudy Pavlin.

In the latest round of negotiations, DOCCS, along with the Department of Homeland Security Emergency Services (DHSES) told all C.O.’s to be back to work by 6:45 am Monday morning or be fired. “Termination letters have been sent to over 2,000 people who remained on strike,” stated Martuscello.

Correction officers still holding the line tell NEWS10’s Reporter James De La Fuente they have not received any formal firing. “No one received any termination notice. Nobody had got any text messages that they were terminated. There were still 25 to 30 officers down there on the line today,” said Pavlin.

Pavlin said one of the big sticking points for those who are remaining on the line is they don’t want to repeal HALT but want amendments made to it. Pavlin says striking guards are, “Very adamant about that. They’re not going back into that environment. They would rather lose their jobs than go back in there.”

He says they have been made promises and have also been threatened before saying, “Each one of these agreements, not one has the safety and security issue been resolved. None.” And when it comes to keeping the prisons operational after firing 2,000 guards, Pavlin said, “They can’t afford to fire 100 officers, let alone 2,000.”

In Coxsackie everyone on the picket line went home for the evening, Monday night.  But they say dozens will return Tuesday morning as they continue to hold the line.