Prison officers union knew strike was coming, say state officials ignored warning

ALBANY — The union that represents the corrections officers and lieutenants who work in New York’s prisons knew a strike was fomenting among its membership before staff started walking off the job in February, and they say state officials did nothing when they were informed of the impending crisis.

In an 11-page analysis released to its members last week, the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association argues that even though it must agree that the strike was illegal, unsanctioned and should not have happened, the underlying issues that caused thousands of its members to walk off the job in mid-February are real, serious and have still not been addressed months later.