NY STATE FIRES 2,000 PRISON GUARDS

By Bob Walsh

Officers at Auburn Correctional Facility in Auburn, New York, stood in inclement weather Feb 21 to protest unsafe working conditions.

 

I admit I did not even know this was going on.  There has been a wildcat strike going on within the New York State prison system since February 17th.  This resulted in Governor Hochul ordering the National Guard into the prisons.  The strike has just been settled, sort of.

Part of the deal was at least 85% of the illegal strikers needed to get their butts back to work.  That didn't quite happen, but it was close.  The state is now honoring MOST of the deal.  But as of yesterday the state fired 2,000 of the holdout strikers. 

The staff were pissed over "working conditions" and that triggered the walkout.  Among other things investigations into two in-custody deaths has been making the staff antsy.  Fifteen prison staff members were placed on administrative leave following the in-custody death of Messiah Nantwi at the Mid-State Correctional Facility.  Six staff members have been charged with murder in the death of Robert Brooks at the Marcy Correctional Facility, which is located across the road from the Mid-State Facility.  

The strike was not sanctioned by the correctional officer's union.  

The system employees about 13,500 "prison guards", not allowing for the 2,000 that were fired yesterday.  Custody staff are working 12 hour shifts. The National Guard is still on duty in the prison system until things stabilize.