NYS correction officers' prison guard strike enters new week. Both sides meeting with mediator.
As the correction officers strike continues at New York state prisons, both sides are set to meet with a mediator on Monday.
For more than a week, correction officers and sergeants have refused to report for duty at 36 of the state's 42 prisons. Others are working while walking the picket lines.
Gov. Kathy Hochul deployed thousands of National Guard members to "help maintain general order and wellness" at impacted prisons. The state also canceled all visitations for personal and legal purposes.
The strike is not authorized by the correction officers' union and it is illegal under New York's Taylor Law, which can impose fines or sanctions.
NY prison guard strike takes aim at HALT Act
The striking guards say they are upset with forced overtime and working conditions they describe as "inhumane." They're also speaking out against the HALT Act, which reduces the use of solitary confinement for prisoners who are prone to violence.
Since the HALT Act took effect, assaults on prison staff increased more than 40%. Assemblyman Brian Maher told CBS News New York it's hindering recruitment of new prison guards, while 50 officers quit or retire every two weeks.
Meanwhile, supporters of the HALT Act say the law was intended to curb abuse, like putting incarcerated people in solitary for 23 hours a day for minor offenses.
Last Thursday, Department of Corrections and Community Supervision Commissioner Daniel F. Martuscello III issued a memo offering two times the hourly rate for overtime, rescinding a controversial staffing directive and suspending certain provisions of the HALT Act. The state's offer will be at the center of Monday's mediation.
