Mediator with strike at prisons moves up negotiation schedule by a day

Photo by Tom Rivers: These signs are displayed today on Route 31 near the State School Road leading to the Albion Correctional Facility.

The mediator trying to resolve a strike among corrections officers at state prisons has moved up the meetings to negotiate by a day.

The talks were scheduled to be Tuesday through Thursday but will now start on Monday, said Martin F. Scheinman Esq., the mediator.

He will be leading meetings between the New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association (the union for corrections officers) and representatives from Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, including Daniel Martuscello, the DOCCS commissioner; and representatives from the state Office of Employee Relations.

“At the initial meeting today, February 21, 2025, NYSCOPBA pressed for formal mediation to start more quickly,” Scheinman said in a statement. “Based upon NYSCOPBA’s arguments, I suggested it was a good idea to begin earlier and the Commissioner of DOCCS; and his Chief of Staff, and the Director of OER, readily agreed. Therefore, the formal mediation will begin Monday, February 24, 2025.”

Corrections officers went on strike on Monday at Elmira and Collins prisons, and by Tuesday that had spread to more than 20 prisons, including Albion and Orleans. More than 30 of the state’s 42 prisons have COs on strike.

Gov. Kathy Hochul issued an executive order and deployed the National Guard to help staff the prisons during the strike.