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. […]
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