Officers pay tribute to 1979 strike (first of it's kind)

http://www.pressrepublican.com/homepage/local_story_108213440.html?keyword=topstory

Historic statewide effort marked beginning of change, improvement within system

By ANDREA VanVALKENBURG
Staff Writer

PLATTSBURGH — It was a tumultuous time 30 years ago when thousands of correction officers united and walked off the job.

Across the state, hundreds of officers stood on the picket lines, fueled by years of unrest and divided communication between administration and labor.

For more than two weeks, officers kept their ground, advocating for better work conditions, improved safety and stronger negotiations.

In the end, they received the same contract, kept their jobs, had to pay back double their daily wage for the lost time and were plagued by years of unsettled emotions that ran rampant on the line.

But they made history as the first statewide corrections department in the nation to strike, marking the beginning of widespread change and improvement within the system.

It was in their honor that dozens of officers stood on a damp cold Saturday to pay tribute to their efforts and commemorate the 30th anniversary of the 1979 strike.


FULL story at link.