New York Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday fired thousands of officers for continuing to strike over unsafe work conditions, including complaints about days-long shifts and increased violence sparked by the implementation of the Democrat-backed Humane Alternatives to Long-Term Solitary Confinement (HALT) Act.
Hochul terminated some 2,000 officers on Monday for not returning to work following the governor claiming she struck a deal with officers on March 6. Most striking officers, though, refused that deal, and their government-affiliated union, the New York Correction Officers’ Benevolent Association (NYCOBA), said Hochul cut them out of negotiations and only worked with the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS).
The March 6 deal, which included a 90-day suspension of the HALT Act and a commitment toward cutting days-long shifts, was largely rejected by the rank and file, with about 8,000 officers continuing to strike last week. In response, Hochul terminated health insurance coverage for more than 5,000 officers and their dependents. This sparked reports of children, pregnant wives, and a mother battling cancer without treatment.
Officers told The Daily Wire that this was why some men and women went back to work; they hated the “deal” but decided to risk their own safety and return to the prisons because they couldn’t afford the health care termination.
Notably, the deal struck on March 6 needed 85% of those on strike to return to work by Monday for it to go into effect and end the strike. DOCCS Commissioner Daniel Martuscello admitted on Monday that this threshold was not met, with thousands still on strike. He deemed the strike “over,” anyway.
“We are committed to building a dedicated, resilient workforce and attracting the next generation of correctional leaders,” Martuscello said. “We will work to ensure the new department will be safer and more effective for everyone involved.”
“The New York state Department of Corrections fired 2,000 officers yesterday, and was already down 2,000 officers,” journalist and radio host Bob Lonsberry posted Tuesday morning. “The last academy class graduated 57 officers and was held in July 2024.”
“They will have to graduate 35 academies to replace the 2,000 just fired,” he added. “Though the average is two academies a year, if they run the 8-week academy continuously, they can do six academies a year, meaning they can catch up to their dramatically understaffed level of a month ago in six years.”
Screenshot: Bob Lonsberry on X
NY Rep. Mike Lawler (R) criticized Hochul for the move on X, calling it “a total failure of leadership.”
“Gov. Hochul, who continues to use taxpayer money to provide free housing, clothing, food, education, and healthcare to illegal immigrants, just fired over 2,000 Corrections Officers and took away their healthcare,” he posted.
Another NY representative, Nick Langworthy, called for a federal investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor into Hochul’s “harmful labor practices against New York State corrections officers.”
“I am calling for a federal investigation by the Department of Labor into Governor Hochul’s harmful labor practices against New York State corrections officers, relating to the suspension of health insurance benefits and excessive mandatory overtime for corrections officers,” the congressman said. “I will not stand by while corrections officers are being denied a right to reasonable working conditions and policies to keep them safe.”
Related: Woman Can’t Get Chemo After Hochul Cuts Health Insurance For Correctional Officers
