Officers protesting lockout outside of Elmira Correctional Facility
ELMIRA, N.Y. (WETM) — Corrections officers gathered to protest outside of Elmira Correctional Facility at the corner of Kendall Place and Davis Street Friday morning.
An 18 News reporter at the scene says over a dozen officers have made their way to the outside of the prison to protest a lockout against three union corrections officers with the decision coming from Albany, according to multiple corrections officers and union members.
Officers have made signs reading “Wrongfully locked out,” and “Typical bad Albany politics.”
A spokesperson of the New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association is currently on site. According to the spokesperson, the NYSCOPBA will need to negotiate with Albany to determine the length of the three officers’ suspensions.
18 News spoke with Kenny Gold, the western regional vice president for NYSCOPBA Friday morning, he said that the three men were suspended for events six to seven months ago.
Gold said that these men have put in thousands of hours of overtime on top of their normal schedules and are now suspended without pay, but wanted to highlight the over a dozen men standing outside the prison on Friday in solidarity with the three.
“These three members are on the other side of the back half of their careers now, they’ve worked with the inmates and never issues like this,” Gold said, “but to have something happen six, seven months ago and now be suspended without pay trying to feed their families, of course, all their brothers and sisters are going to be out there with them because everyone knows that could be them at some point,” Gold said.
This is a developing story. Stay with 18 News for more updates.
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