NEW YORK — Late on Thursday, New York Governor Kathy Hochul reached an agreement with the union representing striking correctional officers to end a wildcat strike that had disrupted the state’s prison system for over a week. After four days of intense mediation talks, both the state and the union concurred on binding terms. Correctional staff are required to return to work by Saturday, or they risk facing disciplinary measures for participating in the strike, as outlined by mediator Martin Scheinman in a detailed seven-page document referred to as a binding consent award.
The agreement introduces adjustments aimed at tackling staff shortages and limiting mandatory 24-hour overtime shifts. Governor Hochul explained that this mediated settlement addresses the workers’ primary concerns, ensures the state prison system can operate safely, and prevents unjustified work stoppages in the future. “The safety of all New Yorkers is my utmost priority. Going forward, I have deployed every possible State resource to protect correction officers, the incarcerated population, and communities across New York,” Hochul stated.
The union, known as the New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association, Inc., did not promptly comment on the resolution. Throughout the negotiations, strikers secured several valuable concessions, including a temporary rise in overtime pay and discussions on considering a change in the pay scale, along with the suspension of a contentious prison reform law believed to compromise prison safety.
Under the one-month agreement, overtime will be compensated at a rate of 2.5 times the regular pay instead of the standard 1.5 times. Moreover, the state has committed to concluding its analysis within the next four months regarding a union request to heighten the salary grades for officers and sergeants. Temporarily suspended for the next 90 days, the reform law that restricts solitary confinement will undergo evaluation to determine whether reinstatement poses an undue risk to staff or inmate safety.
As part of the accord, both parties will establish a committee to investigate staffing and operational inefficiencies in each facility, seeking to alleviate the burden on the current workforce. The correctional officers began their strike on February 17, rallying against poor working conditions. In response, Governor Hochul had the National Guard stationed at various prisons to replace the striking workers, although this job action violated a state law prohibiting most public employees from striking. During the strike, several inmates had reportedly died.
Martin Scheinman, a veteran mediator who often arbitrates for Major League Baseball and the National Hockey League, acknowledged the dedication and willingness of both sides to find practical solutions. “It became apparent that the relationship between the stakeholders and the workforce was in a weakened state,” Scheinman reflected in the memo. “Understanding the current situation reveals no single issue, policy, or law as the cause; rather, it seems this eroded state developed over time.”
With the resolution in motion, the National Guard will gradually withdraw from the state prisons as correction officers resume their duties. As per the agreement, those National Guard members still present will ensure that correctional workers are not compelled to take on 24-hour overtime shifts.
