BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — A New York State corrections officer said he's being forced to return to work because of the strike even though he was placed on a pre-approved medical leave before it started.
"I was contacted over the weekend to report back to work after sustaining surgery on my back," the officer said. "Once I told them that I was unable to because I'm not medically cleared, they hung up on me. When I contacted the facility earlier today, I was told now I'm on leave without pay, facing termination and might have already lost my healthcare."
The officer, who requested anonymity, said he's still recovering from surgery.
"I'm not able to pick up over 10 pounds, bend, twist, drive for more than 30 minutes," he said. "I've contacted people in Albany and asked them: How is this legal? How can we rectify this?"
Jackie Bray, Commissioner of the State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, said that the emergency caused by an illegal strike led to the state demanding all corrections officers return to work. She added that exceptions could be made for those with valid reasons, like being on FMLA or workers' compensation.
The officer said the 7,000 National Guard members mobilized to work in prisons face similar issues, noting that some have been unable to leave the prison since the mobilization began.
7 News has been following this developing story since the very beginning. You can read about the step-by-step developments in our live blog on the strike.
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
