Negotiations to resolve the ongoing prison guard strike across New York are set to begin today after both sides agreed to accelerate discussions originally scheduled for tomorrow.
The decision reflects the urgency to address the statewide walkouts that erupted last week, including at facilities in the Hudson Valley.
Correction officers staged the unauthorized strike, citing safety concerns and demanding better pay, increased visitor searches, and the reversal of the HALT Act, a reform measure limiting solitary confinement.
At Sing Sing Correctional Facility, workers also highlighted dangerously low staffing levels, with some enduring 16- to 24-hour workdays.
In response to the walkouts, Gov. Kathy Hochul deployed National Guard members to prisons like Sing Sing to bolster security. Both state officials and union representatives emphasized the need to get to the negotiating table as soon as possible, prompting today's earlier start.
There are three days of talks scheduled but the mediator says they'll add days if they have to.
