ALDEN, N.Y. (WKBW) — Several months after the corrections officer strike, the officers’ union, NYSCOPBA, shared with 7 News how they think the agreement that eventually ended the strike is working in state prisons.
It has been just over six months since corrections officers first walked off the job, going against union leadership and the State of New York (DOCCS), in a month-long illegal strike.
WATCH: ‘A mixed bag’: NYSCOPBA leaders on the state of corrections, post-strike
NYSCOPBA President Chris Summers and Western Region Vice President Kenny Gold tell me they’ve seen both pros and cons ever since the agreement with DOCCS was signed.
“It has been a mixed bag,” Summers said. “Some of the things have worked.”
PRO: Partial suspension of HALT Act.
Gold tells me that since a partial suspension of the Halt Act, which limits solitary confinement in prisons, both ‘inmate on staff’ and ‘inmate on inmate’ assaults are on pace for a 30% decline when compared to last year.
“It’s going down. Exactly why? Because they suspended the HALT Act after the strike, just like we told them [would happen],” Gold said.
PRO: DOCCS recruitment push is adding more members.
Summers tells me the state’s commitment to recruitment is slowly adding people, and he feels you can see it in the numbers in the recruitment classes.
“Every time there is a new class, those numbers have grown,” Summers said.
CON: Prisons remain understaffed
“There’s still no work-life balance. They are still getting mandated. We are on 12-hour shifts now, but they are getting mandated 16 hours,” Summers said.
“The lack of work-life balance is still there, and it’s driving some folks out while we are trying to get people in. Because of that, recruitment is needed now more than ever,” Gold said.
CON: No change in the number of chemical exposures
“Exposures are definitely still up statewide,” Summers said.
“Just in the last week alone, Collins had more exposures go out, Wende had [three staff members and two inmates] go out Monday, Orleans had an officer searching the package room, which mind you there is a secure vendor program, and found powdery substance in a sneaker and a sergeant and officer went out to different hospitals,” Gold said. “Ambulances are in and out of these prisons.”
