Still Striking: March 1st deadline here – WWNY

Cape Vincent, New York (WWNY) – It appears some corrections officers are holding the line at Cape Vincent Correctional Facility Saturday as a state ultimatum aims to put an end to the illegal work stoppages.After nearly 2 weeks of strikes at facilities around the state, and 4 days of mediation in Albany between NY and the workers’ union, late Thursday, a proposal was announced for COs to consider.It offers a temporary bump in overtime pay, along with a 90-day suspension of HALT reforms, which limit the use of solitary confinement. Some COs describe HALT as watering down disciplinary actions. The workers will tell you since the HALT Act took effect in 2022, assaults on prison staff have spiked and it’s unsafe inside.It also put a date of March 1st for corrections officers and sergeants to be able to return to duty with most not facing any disciplinary consequences. The deadline will give the state a better idea of who will be back at work and who will continue striking, which is not endorsed by the workers’ union. Staying on the line could lead to termination, perhaps arrests, for the holdouts.The prison staff will also tell you the strike isn’t about money. It’s about making prisons safer which includes more staffing and doing away with HALT completely, though there’s little support in Albany to do that.Saturday near Cape Vincent Correctional it appears the strike continues, but to what magnitude isn’t known. Workers aren’t willing to talk for fear of retaliation. Community members were there too supporting the workers even if some did return to work. Retired COs have also been a mainstay at all strike lines in the North Country in Cape Vincent, Gouverneur and Ogdensburg.Other news reports around the state indicate COs are reluctantly going back to work.Copyright 2025 WWNY. All rights reserved.

Source: https://www.wwnytv.com/2025/03/01/still-striking-march-1st-deadline-here/