OAN Staff James Meyers
1:46 PM – Thursday, February 20, 2025
Multiple walkouts of New York state prison guards began this week and have continued into Thursday at a number of correctional facilities in the Empire State, prompting New York Democrat Governor Kathy Hochul to declare a “disaster emergency.”
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Hochul’s (D-N.Y.) emergency declaration will send 3,500 National Guard troops into action at several prisons across the state — supported by New York State Police troopers.
“These disruptive and unsanctioned work stoppages by some correction officers must end as they are jeopardizing the safety of their colleagues, the prison population, and causing undue fear for the residents in the surrounding communities,” Hochul said in a statement.
As the guards continue to strike, the possibility of violence breaking out is still an ongoing concern. Nonetheless, it’s the job of the National Guard troops to step up and quickly combat the chaos if need be.
The declaration comes after a fourth day of strikes by correction officers at 36 facilities throughout the Empire State. Many workers have protested their work conditions, that they say have left them significantly understaffed — forced into mandatory overtime and fear of possible layoffs.
Meanwhile, the state’s Supreme Court Justice Donna M. Siwek has mandated that the guards go back to work on Wednesday, asserting that their strike isn’t allowed by New York law.
The prison workers’ union, which has close to 17,000 members, announced that they were not responsible for initiating the strikes, but also added that they want to work with Hochul to come to a solution on the labor dispute.
On Thursday, the Governor issued a statement saying she’s working with corrections department Commissioner Daniel Martuscello on safety reforms, “including installing new security cameras, strengthening the Office of Special Investigations and increasing compensation for our hard-working correction officers.”
“Public safety is my top priority,” the governor said. “I will continue doing everything in my power to keep our correctional facilities safe for all.”
According to the New York Post, the protests could be connected to a prisoner riot that took place last week at the Collins Correctional Facility in Erie County, which left multiple guards injured as inmates took over part of the prison.
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