New York state has dismissed over 2,000 prison guards who participated in illegal wildcat strikes that persisted for 22 days, severely disrupting the corrections system. Despite not achieving the target of 85% of guards returning to work by the deadline, state officials reported enough personnel had resumed duties to avert ongoing labor issues. A new contract was signed with the security guards union to address grievances, but the strike violated state laws, prompting Governor Kathy Hochul to deploy the National Guard to maintain operations.
The guards initiated the strikes on February 17 due to grievances over working conditions, leading to deteriorating conditions in prisons, which have sparked inmate complaints. Notably, there is an ongoing investigation into the death of a 22-year-old inmate during the strike, highlighting concerns over prison safety. The situation has garnered attention as it is the second investigation into inmate deaths in recent months; in a separate case, six guards were charged with murder linked to another inmate’s death. State officials are also planning an aggressive recruitment campaign to fill staffing shortages.
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