Stefanik Calls for Investigation into Governor’s Actions
ALBANY – Upstate MP Elise Stefanik is urging the federal government to look into how the governor is treating political adversaries, particularly following a significant illegal prison strike that intensified the state’s incarceration issues earlier this year.
In a letter addressed to both Governor Hochul and the U.S. Department of Labor, Stefanik claimed that the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) breached federal law by dismissing officers who were on legitimate leave at the time.
“This represents yet another case of illegal conduct by Gov. Hochul and her administration, displaying serious animosity towards law enforcement,” a Republican official from the North Country remarked regarding the dismissals, which were communicated in a letter to Labor Secretary Lori Chavez Deremar.
While she’s yet to officially announce her gubernatorial candidacy for next year, Stefanik pointed out that DOCCS reportedly employed a vague “no-call list” impacting corrections officers who were not reinstated after the strike.
She alleged that the firings might infringe on the Family and Medical Leave Act established in 1993.
“I came across a ‘no-call list’ that includes at least 200 individuals statewide. The governor and her commissioner have deemed them unqualified for rehire. There’s no clear reasoning for this list’s existence,” Stefanik stated in her correspondence.
In response, Hochul’s office and DOCCS representatives denied such a list was in place. “Unlike Rep. Stefanik, Governor Hochul adheres to the law. Corrections officers who participated in the illegal work stoppage earlier this year jeopardized both the incarcerated individuals and their fellow colleagues,” a spokesperson for the governor asserted.
A DOCCS spokesperson clarified that the department isn’t currently seeking to rehire those previously let go but will modify its processes to enable anyone believing they were wrongfully dismissed to pursue complaints through collective bargaining agreements.
At the close of a nearly month-long illegal strike, Gov. Hochul terminated about 2,000 corrections officers who chose not to return from their protests outside state prisons.
Initially, Hochul had promised the state would not rehire those who had walked off their jobs, but she later appeared to reverse that stance.
During the strike, DOCCS also suspended medical benefits for corrections officers who were not partaking in the work actions, which included some on authorized leave.
The facility currently operates with nearly 5,000 personnel, supplemented by the deployment of around 2,000 National Guard members since the strike occurred, despite ongoing recruitment challenges.
