Cayuga County Sheriff Brian Schenck is joining others across the state in decrying Governor Kathy Hochul’s recent executive order suspending the ability of local municipalities, including his office, from hiring former corrections officers who were fired during the CO strikes that took place across the state over unsafe working conditions.
Speaking on FLX Morning, Sheriff Schenck said that former corrections officers have reached out to his office about employment; however, due to Hochul’s actions, he cannot hire them, even at a time when his office is in need of more staff at the jail.
“We don’t have the ability to make a local decision as to whether or not we want to hire these individuals, and I think it’s an overreach. I think we should have the ability to make that local decision, and I have brought thisto the attention of our local legislature because I believe they need to chime in on that.”
Schenck added that officials in Oneida County are looking to combat the executive order through legal action and that he will push for the Cayuga County Legislature to do the same.
“I don’t think any municipality across the state can allow our state government to dictate and mandate what decisions can be made at a local level.”
Hochul released her executive order on Monday following the conclusion of a three-week wildcat by corrections officers at prisons across the state, including Auburn, Cayuga, and Five Points, demanding better working conditions and an end to the HALT Act. While the strike ended on Monday, over 2,000 officers received termination letters for their roles in the strikes.
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