Leadership

As I am sure you are aware, there are tremendous changes the Correction Department has undergone in the last few years – changes that are still occurring. The Department is closing facilities due to the NYS Legislature changing laws governing bail and reducing the number of incarcerated. These changes are not exclusive to New York City or State. There is a nationwide effort by far-left liberals that’s creating turmoil across the country.

Part of the NYC Council’s plan is to close Riker’s Island and build borough-based jails that, according to the current plan, will house up to 3,300 inmates. Mayor Adams has done his best to garner support to keep Riker’s Island open, and for good reason. The Department has a head count well above 6,200 and if the plan to close Riker’s goes forward, the city will have no choice but to release thousands of dangerous criminals out to roam the streets. This is unconscionable and will have disastrous results for all law-abiding citizens. The current law in place mandates that Riker’s Island closes by 2027.

There is a glimmer of hope, however. I have been contacted by City Hall representatives asking us to meet with some of the people advocating for the closing. I intend to meet with them to discuss why it would be a tremendous mistake to keep the current plan rather than invest in rebuilding Riker’s into a campus where safer, modern facilities can be incorporated with buildings that will provide mental health treatment and educational, social services, and other programs where inmates can receive the tools they need to become productive citizens. 

We can only hope that common sense prevails, and a new and more reasonable plan is created by the city with our input – the people who have the knowledge and expertise to rebuild the Correction Department from the mess created by the former de Blasio administration. There is no question that most current City Council members are anti-law enforcement and are heavily aligned with the far-left wing of the Democratic Party. We can only hope that our voices are heard in this process. 

Another concern is the CCA itself. The downsizing of the Department has a deleterious effect on our union. The number of active Captains has dropped tremendously in the last few years from almost 920 in September 2018 to less than 570 currently – a drop of 39%!

You may be wondering how this affects our union. Simply put, the union is operated and funded by active Captains’ dues. With the reduction of Captains, the amount of dues received has also dropped. Dues pay for many things – the overall operation of the office, including rent, the cost of meetings, and our attorneys for discipline and labor issues, just to name a few. We are constantly looking for ways to reduce our costs – one being bi-monthly instead of monthly General Membership meetings. We will continue to be cost-conscious and frugal with our expenditures, but we will never skimp on how we serve our members. Our Health and Welfare Funds, which are separate and apart from the General Fund, remain in good shape and your benefits are well funded.

On a positive note, we are making headway with the Office of Labor Relations on our unit bargaining now that we have settled the economic portion of the contract. As in past negotiations, we were part of the Uniformed Supervisors coalition and agreed to a five-year deal that includes annual compounded raises that will increase your base pay approximately 18.7% by the end of the contract. The first raise of 3.25% is retroactive to Nov. 29, 2022. We hope to come to an agreement on the unit bargaining in the coming weeks. Once we reach an agreement, we will call an emergency Delegate’s meeting to disseminate the details and in accordance with our by-laws, ask the Delegates to approve the deal and send out ratification ballots to our members. This is why it’s so important for all members to update your information on our website by clicking here.

As you can see, we are very busy working on many different fronts. We will continue to work hard to protect your rights, your safety, and your financial compensation for working in the most difficult job in law enforcement.