Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - As the corrections officers strike in New York State enters its second week, local lawmakers continue to call for a resolution that gets workers back to work.
Congressman Tim Kennedy (D, NY-26) feels it's up to New York State to come to a positive resolution on this strike with corrections officers.
"I think the message has been sent by the corrections officers, certainly has been received not just by government officials at the state level, from what I've seen, but by the general population," said Kennedy when asked of the ongoing strike. "The bottom line is this has to be resolved. We want to make sure that they have an environment that they can work in, that is safe, that is not threatening, that is not violent. And at the same time, those that they're protecting within these prisons have equal protections and equal safety."
Kennedy feels the best way to resolve the issue is to provide for proper staffing, and ensuring that the law is followed every step of the way.
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Kennedy says he understands just how difficult of a job these corrections officers have in prisons across New York.
"They have tough work to do each and every day, and oftentimes it's violent work. It's certainly thankless work, and they are really facing circumstances on a daily basis where it's a position that they're traumatized," Kennedy said. "And it's important that they, and those that they're protecting, those individuals who are incarcerated, have a safe place to work, and they have what's necessary, the resources necessary provided to them, be it staffing or other ways to keep them safe.
"Prior to this walkout, we know there were staff shortages. We know that they are dealing with violence in the workplace, and they feel, oftentimes, threatened in the work that they do. And when that happens, everyone is at risk. That's no way to live, certainly no way to work. And I'm hopeful for a positive resolution as soon as possible."
When it comes to the HALT Act, which Kennedy voted in favor of while in the State Senate in 2022, he acknowledges if there are to be changes to the law, the state legislature and the governor would have to consider that and work through the process to make that happen.
As for State Sen. George Borrello (R), he continues to point directly to Gov. Kathy Hochul to take the reins on this matter and do what's right for these corrections officers.
"She needs to declare a state of emergency for the violence in our prisons, which will give her the tools to suspend HALT. And then she needs to go back to the Democrats, the radicals that run the state legislature and say, 'Now bring me something that's acceptable, that will restore order.' That's the path. Kathy Hochul is the key," said Borrello while at the protest outside Collins Correctional Facility on Saturday. "She has to step up, she has to be a leader. She has to protect the people that she's been sworn to protect, and she has the power through Executive Order, to suspend HALT until we can get the state legislature to finally move."
Borrello can understand why state corrections officers are standing their ground, and taking exception to the working conditions inside the state-run prisons across New York.
"There are no safety protocols, and the rhetoric from my Democrat colleagues that call these criminals, the people that have committed heinous crimes, they refer to them as 'victims' and 'slaves', and victims of circumstance, instead of what they are, criminals. We need to restore law and order. What I'm hearing from all these folks is how fed up they are with all that," Borrello said. "They're fed up with the rhetoric. They're fed up with the mistreatment. They're fed up with being assaulted, having cups of urine and feces thrown at them. Enough is enough. When will New York State wake up?"
Heading into Monday, leadership with the New York State Correctional Officers and Benevolent Association (NYSCOPBA), the union representing state corrections officers, and officials with the State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) and other state officials are set to meet a mediator with the hopes of ending the strike.
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While Borrello is hopeful these talks with a mediator will bear fruitful, he feels these talks could've started days ago.
"I have hope that something can be done, but these guys have said, 'HALT has to go away. Hard stop.' So any negotiation that doesn't, at least, yield that, I don't think is going to be acceptable to these guys," Borrello said. "This is their lives. This is the lives of the folks that work in there, their families suffer. So I understand their plight, and the negotiations need to start with the repeal of HALT."
Regardless of what happens Monday, Borrello says he and a number of his colleagues in Albany are planning to make sure this issue is brought up and talked about when legislative session continues.
"We're having a press conference, myself and my Republican colleagues. We're bringing in folks that have suffered, family members. We're going to reintroduce legislation that we've carried for a long time, for the repeal of HALT and other pro-criminal laws that the Democrats have passed, and we're going to make them talk about it. It's about time," Borrello said.
"Other than one or two Democrats that are pro-criminal Democrats, the rest of them have been silent. They've been hiding, because they know this is unpopular. They know it's dangerous, they know it's irresponsible. So we're going to make them talk about it, and we're going to keep this front of mind until something changes."
During the course of his visit at Collins on Saturday, as well as his other trips to Attica Correctional and Lakeview Correctional, Borrello was not surprised to see how the local community has flooded to support their corrections officers, contrary to the claims by Gov. Hochul that the strikes are "causing undue fear for the residents in the surrounding communities."
"The support has been overwhelming. You can see it here with the people that are here, the people that are stopping by. People are just honking and waving, but other people are stopping, by dropping off food, water, other supplies. The grassroots support from the people is really, I think, needs to be taken note [of]," Borrello said. "My Democrat colleagues and the governor need to take note of the groundswell of support from the public. This was hidden from the public for far too long. Now the public knows about it, and they need to step up and do the right thing."
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