New York Governor Bans Striking Correction Officers From State Jobs

Correction officers holding the line won't be getting any new state jobs. Not if New York's Governor has anything to say about it.

Kathy Hochul issued an executive order prohibiting the hiring of individuals currently on strike for any state positions.

An agreement to end the strike between DOCCS and NYSCOPBA required 85 percent of COs to return to work on Monday, March 10. That didn't happen. So 2,000 termination notices were sent out.

Shameful & Abuse of Power

"As if firing 2,000 corrections officers wasn’t bad enough, now Governor Hochul is banning them from ever holding state jobs and is stripping their law enforcement credentials, to make them ineligible for county and local jobs as well," said Senator George Borrello who called the move "shameful and a disgraceful abuse of power."

READ MORE: Governor’s Latest Move Against Striking Correction Officers Hits "New Low"

Borrello said the striking COs stood up for their safety, their families, and their fellow officers and instead of fixing the crisis she created, Hochul is blacklisting them from public service. "She’s not just punishing them—she’s sending a message that anyone who challenges her failed policies will be destroyed."

Agreement Components the State Will Honoe

• Allowing the Commissioner of DOCCS to exercise his existing discretion under the HALT Act and continue the temporary suspension of the programming elements of the HALT Act for 90 days from the date of the MOA.
• Minimizing and working towards eliminating 24-hour mandatory overtime.
• Establishing a committee to analyze each facility's staffing and operational inefficiencies with the goal of providing more relief to existing staff.
• DOCCS shall not issue notices of discipline under the collective bargaining agreement for an employee who engaged in the strike so long as the employee returned to work by the deadline.

READ MORE: Life Behind Prison Walls From a Former New York Inmate

• Reiterating rescission of the 70/30 memo.
• Immediately reinstating the health insurance of any returning employee.
• Continue to pay the 2.5 times overtime rate originally established by mutual agreement on February 20, 2025, for 30 days from the date of the MOA.
• Allowing employees to purchase health insurance covering the full State share and employee share to the first day of AWOL/terminated health insurance.
• Establishing a committee comprised of representatives of NYSCOPВА and DOCCS and other parties to present recommendations to the New York State Legislature regarding changes to the HALT Act.

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