News release
ALBANY, NY — NYSCOPBA has learned that Governor Cuomo has deferred the contractually required 2% wage increase  for the third time since the COVID pandemic began in March. The raise, which was originally scheduled to occur in April, and was initially delayed to October 1, now has been pushed back until January of 2021.
This once again is a slap in the face to the brave men and women in law enforcement and those on the front lines who are tasked with keeping order in our state’s prison systems and our mental health facilities. Throughout this pandemic our members have put their own health  and the health of their families at risk going to work each day serving the people of New York.
From the first day of this crisis,  we have had to fight DOCCS and the State for the basic needs to protect our members while they continued to go to work. NYSCOPBA needed to purchase masks for staff after the state initially refused to supply them.
The fact that DOCCS wouldn’t initially acknowledge the need for basic protection was extremely alarming.
We advocated for the suspension of dangerous practices like transporting inmates and inmate visitations, to minimize the spread of the virus. In the meantime  over a 1000 members contracted the virus and several died as a result.
Our members are continually ignored and forgotten by the Governor, Â majority members of the State Senate and Assembly, Â while they all enjoyed significant raises at the beginning of the year. Now they are denying hard working state employees a miniscule 2 % raise.
It is the blue collar union workers that helped navigate us through this crisis, not our elected leaders in Albany.
We understand the dire fiscal crisis facing the State but they should honor the commitment they made to our members. They face some of the most dangerous working conditions in the State and deserve to be fully compensated for the work they do.
Our union will continue to advocate on behalf of our membership, who have been essential in getting us through this crisis. We will do everything in our power to make sure the state honors its commitment.