New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) Commissioner Martuscello said starting Monday, any staff who remain on strike will have their healthcare, as well as their dependent’s healthcare, removed retroactively.

However, that didn’t stop correction officers from continuing to strike outside Coxsackie Correctional Facility.

Retired corrections officers tell NewsChannel 13 that about 140 officers have returned to work since Saturday at Coxsackie. However, there remains an estimate of between 70 – 80 workers on strike outside Coxsackie.

NewsChannel 13 spoke with retired corrections officer Rudy Pavlin who said these officers are vowing to stay on the picket lines until all of their demands are met.

“These officers out here are not going back. They’ve dug their heels in. They’re accepting what’s coming. The threats, the escalation from Hochul and Martuscello and they’ve had enough. It’s not worth going back into what they had, which will only be worse when they can win. So, they’re ready to stay the whole way.” said Pavlin.

Their biggest concern for these officers is their safety at work, said N.Y. State Assemblyman Chris Tague.

“This is not about money or benefits or anything else. This is about their safety and security,” Tague said. “Listen, I’ve asked this question before. Would any of you send a family member of yours or yourself to a place that you know is unsafe or insecure? The answer is absolutely not.”

Commissioner Martuscello relayed the following message Sunday afternoon to staff on strike:

“I’ve been talking to a lot of staff over the past weeks, yesterday I was on the road visiting facilities and will be traveling to several prisons again today to thank those that continued to work and welcome back the staff that are returning to their facilities.”

The commissioner added: “I want you to come back to work today. If you missed your shift, you should still report, and know that we will continue to have open dialogue on making facilities safer places to work.”