Western New York leaders gather in Marilla to show support for correction officers on strike

MARILLA, N.Y. (WIVB) — Western New York leaders came together on Tuesday in a show of support for correctional officers across New York State, but it was also a show of force against decision-makers in Albany.

Town supervisors, legislators and assemblymen from all over Erie County gathered at the Town of Marilla Community Center to stand behind the correction officers who have been on strike since last Monday.

The strike is will be entering its 10th day on Wednesday, with no end in sight as mediations between the state, the Department of Corrections and the union representing correction officers continue.

“It’s become evident that the correction officers are someone we need to stand by due to the situation that they are in,” said Marilla Town Supervisor Earl Gingerich. “We want a safe environment for them with adequate staffing.”

Over a dozen officials echoed the same message. Many of them expressed concerns for the officers who are mandated to work long hours, saying it’s a safety hazard for not only the officers, but the inmates.

“How many of you would trust your lives in the hands of a pilot or a surgeon that’s already been working for 36 hours?” said Wales Town Supervisor Timothy Howard. “If it’s not enough for all these other occupations, then it can’t be done within there.”

Collins Town Supervisor Kenneth Martin said he has attended meetings at Collins Correctional Facility where he learned that attacks on officers have doubled in recent years. He said he does not want to see that continue in his own backyard.

“They need to take all this stuff seriously,” Martin said. “It’s quality of life for everybody, safety of the correctional officers, safety of the inmates.”

Residents also came out in numbers to express solidarity.

“I’m retired now, but in my old job I used to take care of a lot of the COs and they’re very good people,” said Larry, a resident of Springville. “They have families. They have homes and I just feel for them.”

Assemblyman David DiPietro, who represents East Aurora, called on all local municipalities to pass resolutions in support of correction officers and to demand the repeal of the HALT Act, which limits the use of solitary confinement.

“Our correctional officers have been hung out to dry by Albany’s reckless, pro-criminal policies,” DiPietro said in a statement provided to WIVB News 4. “They are being forced into brutal double and triple shifts, facing life-threatening conditions, and left without the support they deserve. Meanwhile, the governor is nowhere to be found.”

The towns of Cheektowaga and Marilla passed similar resolutions on Tuesday supporting correction officers. Town supervisors from Lancaster, Collins, Wales, Eden, Elma, Sardinia and Holland all said they plan to do so in the coming days.

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Trina Catterson joined the News 4 team in 2024. She previously worked at WETM-TV in Elmira, a sister station of WIVB. See more of her work here.

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