Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - The wildcat strike conducted by corrections officers at dozens of prisons across New York State entered its 12th day Friday.
Despite a "deal" being reached between the State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) and the New York State Correctional Officers and Benevolent Association (NYSCOPBA), it appears that corrections officers are continuing to hold out for their original demands: Safer working conditions in prisons across New York, and a permanent repeal of the HALT Act.
The agreement, reached after mediation, includes a deadline, which Gov. Kathy Hochul says workers must return to work by Saturday to avoid being disciplined.
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What if they don't?
"Individuals could be fired or terminated," said local Labor expert Art Wheaton of Cornell University in Buffalo.
However, he told WBEN he does not expect that to happen immediately.
"They could be terminated, but I don't think they will be terminated. They could also impose more fines or penalties," Wheaton said.
The strikes are illegal under the state's Taylor Law. Corrections officers who remain on the picket line are already facing penalties like docked pay and discontinued health benefits for not returning to work.
"Under the Taylor Law, you can impose a fine of 2-to-1. If you miss one day, you will be penalized two days of work. There could be other discipline or other penalties applied before termination," Wheaton explained.
Wheaton also notes it is hard to find people qualified to do the work of a corrections officer in New York.