New York’s Far-Left Governor Kathy Hochul has issued an executive order permanently barring over 2,000 corrections officers, terminated following a recent strike related to far-left Democrat legislation affecting prisons and prison safety. The order bans the striking corrections officers from any future employment within the state. This measure not only affects state positions but extends to county and municipal roles, effectively ‘blacklisting’ these individuals from public service entirely.
The Executive order is known as “Executive Order 47.3” and you can read the text of it here.
Hochul’s drastic order has already been found to have fired and blacklisted Corrections Officers who were on maternity leave with newborns.
The Governor’s office is apparently, however, already in damage-control mode with the fallout from this crisis. The latest action is to limit the employment blackballing of the 2,000 officers to be limited to only state government employment and not include County-level employment with the state’s 62 county governments.
The New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOPBA) has, so far, remained silent. Their website does not list any press release related to the ongoing controversy.
The union called the Gateway Pundit back to explain that, in private discussions with the Governor’s office, they are tentatively planning to let the current executive order expire on April 9th and clarify that the officers will not be prevented from being hired by Counties. A call and email to the Governor’s office to confirm this has not been returned. The union’s Communications Specialist James Miller explained to the Gateway Pundit that even though this modification or reinterpretation of the order may not be public, backroom discussions were underway and working to try and solve the political problem.
Miller said: “If you look at the many New York Counties that are facing severe Correctional Officers shortages, in many cases they are 10-30% short-staffed, this order could not continue so her order will expire on April 9th according to the Governor’s Secretary, whom I have been in contact with today.”
“The officers won’t be able to seek state employment again, but they won’t be barred from County employment, they will simply need to seek reinstatement as a peace officer,” Miller also pointed out.
The controversy stems from a 22-day strike that began on February 17, 2025, involving thousands of correction officers protesting unsafe working conditions, mandatory overtime, and inadequate staffing following . The strike, deemed illegal under the Taylor Law which prevents strikes by public employees, led to significant disruptions within the state’s correctional facilities. Governor Hochul responded by deploying the National Guard to maintain prison operations.
Striking officers cited severe staff shortages, excessive forced overtime, and dangerous working conditions as the reasons for their walkout, with particular frustration over a state law limiting the use of solitary confinement. They argued that the far-left Democrat bill, the Humane Alternatives to Long-Term Solitary Confinement (HALT) Act created safety risks by preventing violent inmates from being properly isolated. As part of the agreement to end the strike, corrections officials agreed to suspend certain provisions of the law for 90 days while they undergo re-evaluation.
The far-left legislation defines segregated confinement for more than 15 days as “torture.”
Democrats regularly pass far-left policy goals from their most progressive core constituency without input or consideration for its practical effects, even from other members of their political coalition, in this case public employee unions.
Despite a tentative agreement to address some of the officers’ concerns, a substantial number refused to return to work, citing insufficient guarantees for improved conditions. Consequently, the state moved to terminate over 2,000 officers who remained on strike past the imposed deadline.
Governor Hochul’s executive order goes beyond termination, mandating that these officers be reported as having been removed “for cause,” thereby revoking their peace officer certifications. This action prevents them from securing employment not only in state agencies but also in county and municipal positions, including roles in local jails and sheriff’s departments.
Hochul was in the news in the past two months for getting into a spat with President Trump over his Presidential authority. In response to President Trump’s order that caused New York City to end its congestion pricing program, Governor Kathy Hochul retorted, “We are a nation of laws, not ruled by a king. We’ll see you in court.” She also remarked, “New York hasn’t labored under a king in over 250 years. We sure as hell aren’t going to start now.” Some online have noted that Governor Hochul was angry about Executive authority as it relates to limiting her ability to collect tolls, but when she abuses her authority to blacklist striking union workers she sees that as a valid exercise of authority.
Unions have historically been a key constituency of Democrat political power. Union members overwhelmingly support Democrats over Republicans, with over 85% of union political contributions in the 2022 cycle going to Democratic candidates. Major unions like AFL-CIO and SEIU contributed over $200 million, funding door-to-door canvassing, phone banking, and voter registration drives. In battleground states, union-backed efforts boost Democratic turnout by up to 5%. Hochul was elected Governor in 2022 over Lee Zeldin, who is now the Director of the Environmental Protection Agency, by a margin of 53-47%.
Widespread Condemnation, Lawsuits Filed
Chemung County has announced it is challenging the Executive Order in state court, and asking for it to be rendered unconstitutional for the way in which it blacklists people from government work, and prevents them from working in local government
Allegany County has passed a statement announcing its opposition to the Governor’s Executive Order.
Chautauqua County Executive Paul Wendel expressed his support for the officers and frustration with the Governor’s actions.
Oneida County has authorized legal action to fight the Governor’s orders.
Kelly Fitzpatrick, Chair of the Steuben County Legislature, said to WHAM News, “We believe it is illegal for her to have done this.”
“So I am applauding the legal challenge, and hopefully, there would be talk amongst my legislature to join in on that.”
The Empire State Governor’s actions have sparked outrage across the state:
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Sheriffs’ Association Response: The New York State Sheriffs’ Association has opposed the executive order, highlighting the detrimental impact on county jails already grappling with staffing shortages. They argue that many of the terminated officers are experienced professionals who could alleviate the burden on local facilities.
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Individual Hardships: Among those terminated are officers on approved medical or family leave, including individuals recovering from injuries, those on maternity leave, and others with legitimate health concerns. The blanket termination has led to the abrupt cancellation of health insurance benefits, leaving many without access to necessary medical care.
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Legal and Ethical Concerns: Legal experts and civil rights advocates have criticized the governor’s blanket approach, suggesting it may violate due process rights and exacerbate existing staffing crises within correctional facilities.
The post Union Buster: New York Far-Left Governor Hochul Fires, then Bars 2,000 Fired Corrections Officers from Ever Working in State Govt Again, Almost Banned from Working from Counties appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.