DiPietro: ‘No-Vote’ on Majority’s Omnibus Corrections Bill

Omnibus bill A.8871 fails to address main causes of strikes

In response to the Majority’s passage of a sweeping omnibus bill on correction reform,

Assemblyman David DiPietro (R,C-East Aurora) issued his criticism, calling the legislation “a

blatant failure to address the very issues that forced thousands of correctional officers to risk their livelihoods and walk off the job.”

The bill comes in the wake of the largest correctional officer strike New York State has

seen in decades. But according to DiPietro, the legislation does nothing to correct the underlying problems that drove the strike to begin with: the dangerous consequences of the HALT Act and the inhumane practice of mandatory overtime that has left correction officers overworked, underappreciated and unheard.

“This bill is window dressing, plain and simple. The governor and the Majority are

pretending to solve a problem they still don’t understand because they never listened in the first place. The officers walked out in desperation, begging the state to address mandatory triple shifts, being denied sick and vacation time and the devastating impact this job is having on their families and mental health. Instead of compassion or reform, they got punishment."

“The governor’s executive order blacklisting officers from state employment was

vindictive, authoritarian and disgraceful. Terminating 2,000 officers didn’t solve the crisis, it

escalated it. And now, this so-called reform package completely ignores their pleas for help.

There are no OT protections, no staffing mandates and no HALT Act reforms."

“If you want safe prisons, you need to start by treating our officers like human beings.

The Majority failed these men and women. I stand with the officers, those who are still serving and those this state cast aside.”

DiPietro vowed to continue fighting for correctional officers and pushing for real reform

that includes a repeal of the HALT Act, mandatory overtime protections, mental health support and restoration of employment opportunities for wrongfully terminated officers.

Assemblyman David DiPietro represents the 147th Assembly District, which includes parts of Erie and Wyoming counties.