N.Y. Governor Orders State Agencies Not to Hire Fired Correction Officers
By Robert Harding
Source The Citizen, Auburn, N.Y.
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The 2,000 New York State correction officers who did not report to work by Monday's deadline will lose their jobs and benefits, including health insurance. An executive order by the governor also prohibits state agencies from hiring those fired workers.
An executive order issued by Gov. Kathy Hochul will prevent 2,000 correction officers who were fired for participating in a three-week strike from working for another state agency.
According to the order, state agencies will be required to determine if applicants or prospective employees who submit to background checks are former correction officers who were fired for engaging in the illegal strike.
"No New York state agency shall hire or appoint any individual who was previously employed by (DOCCS) and thereafter separated from such employment in connection with such individual's participation in the illegal and unlawful strike," Hochul's order states.
The executive order adds to the penalties fired correction officers are facing after DOCCS announced Monday that the strike is over.
DOCCS Commissioner Daniel Martuscello said 10,000 correction officers are available to work, while 2,000 did not report by the Monday deadline. Those officers will be terminated.
The officers will lose their jobs and benefits, including health insurance. They could be forced to pay hefty fines for violating the state's Taylor Law, which prohibits public employee strikes. Officers who participated in the strike could be docked two days' pay for every day they were on the picket line.
More on OFFICER.com
N.Y. Correction Officers Union Agrees to New Deal: 'This Strike Must End'
- The new labor agreement between the New York State and the union representing its correction officers ends the 20-day walkout, and no striking workers will be disciplined as part of the deal.
Hochul's executive order also recommends the removal of the fired correction officers from the Central Register of Police and Peace Officers. If they are removed from the list, it would prevent them from being hired as a police or peace officer by state or local agencies.
For the officers that chose to return to duty, DOCCS will honor several terms from prior agreements that were reached during the three-week walkout. The state is also launching an aggressive recruitment campaign — an effort that was needed to address a staffing crisis within the department but is especially important now that 2,000 officers have been fired.
"Today, we can finally say this work stoppage is over and move forward towards making our prisons safer for all, supporting our correctional staff and recruiting the correction officers of the future," Hochul said in a statement.
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