UPDATE: We’re told NYSCOPBA took parts of the original mediation award from last week (the deal between NYSCOPBA and New York State) and parts of the memorandum that came out Thursday night (the deal between officers on strike and New York State) and sent a new offer to Governor Kathy Hochul’s office.
In a memo to its members, NYSCOPBA said it is going back to the negotiating table with the state beginning Friday at 8 p.m. You can read more and follow the latest updates here.
ORIGINAL: A new deal was proposed on Thursday night in an attempt to end the ongoing wildcat strike by corrections officers across New York State.
NYS Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) Commissioner Daniel Martuscello said that earlier Thursday, the workforce provided him with terms that would be necessary to get striking officers to return to work. He then met with the New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOPBA) leadership and reviewed the terms.
According to Martuscello, they had a verbal agreement that the union would enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Martuscello, the Director of the Office of Employee Relations and NYSCOPBA President Chris Summers.
Martuscello said Summers and the NYSCOPBA Executive Board refused to sign the MOU Thursday evening.
"I heard my workforce loud and clear, and I will not fail to deliver on what I promised," Martuscello said.
The commissioner then announced he would offer the terms of that agreement to the workforce, but it is predicated on them returning to duty on Friday, March 7.
Below, you can find the full terms of the agreement.
New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Jackie Bray spoke after Martuscello. She said the terms would not apply to any corrections officer or sergeant who does not return to work on Friday, March 7, and the deal will not be offered again.
"We will not negotiate concerning the dismissal of contempt charges again. It is being offered for those who return tomorrow. We will not again offer employees who have been terminated or resigned the ability to return and the ability to return without discipline. The state will, we are prepared to, and we will, exercise all of our rights and all remedies, criminal and civil, to end this illegal strike, and we will take action against those who continue to refuse to return to work illegally. That action will include continuing to pursue civil contempt charges, adding additional corrections officers and sergeants who continue to participate in this legal strike to the Attorney General's list under the temporary restraining order. In fact, we sent 1000 additional names to the Attorney General's office today alone. We will continue to pursue terminations for those who do not return to work tomorrow. We want you back. We need you back. You need to come back to work tomorrow."
Before taking questions, Martuscello said that Governor Kathy Hochul has directed him to launch an aggressive recruitment campaign to attract the next generation of correctional professionals.
We have reached out to NYSCOPBA for a statement in response to this announcement, and we are waiting to hear back.
You can watch the press conference below.
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.
