GROVELAND, N.Y. — Guards at correctional facilities across the state, including Groveland Correctional Facility, continue to strike despite their union calling the action illegal.

News10NBC Kristi Blake spoke with guards at Groveland, who say they have been financially preparing for this situation. They expressed gratitude for community donations of water, coffee, food and firewood.

February 19 marks their third day striking, which brought in a slightly bigger crowd compared to the first two days.

The guards at Groveland are managing the strike without union support, but have received support from State Senator Pam Helming, who stopped by Groveland.

“We are with you every single step of the way,” said Helming.

Guards are protesting long working hours, with shifts often lasting 16 hours and sometimes extending to 24 or even 32 hours. They also said its not only for their safety but also for the safety of the inmates.

They argue that such conditions create dangerous environments.

Cheryl Kates, a defense attorney for incarcerated individuals, highlighted the risks.

“It’s extremely dangerous because if you’re tired and something happens, like a violent incident, you’re not going to be at your best,” Kates said.

Kates also explained the union’s role in protecting workers and how the contract is what is causing problems right now.

“The union contract protects the workers, where they negotiate things for their workers on their behalf,” Kates said.

However, she noted that the strike is unauthorized, which means they are illegally walking off their job and could possibly end up being fired.

Guards said they are calling for Governor Kathy Hochul to meet with the union to address issues such as the HALT Act, adding more guards and stopping shifts over 24 hours.

As of the latest update, the National Guard has not been deployed to Groveland even though Hochul said she would order them to come in if the strikes continued.

This leaves the facility with half the staffing.

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