A pilot program was created by Governor Kathy Hochul for healthcare staff at SUNY hospitals to earn two and a half times their pay when working overtime as the staffing crisis continues following the vaccine mandate.
The security guards working at the hospitals are part of the mandated staff to become vaccinated, but they were not offered the same opportunity.
The New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association that represents around 130 security guards wrote to Hochul about the issue.
“If the state considers our members to be a risk to others because of their direct interactions with patients and medical settings, then they should be afforded the same benefits and financial opportunities as the rest of the patient-facing hospital staff who are being rewarded through this overtime program for their efforts during this hazardous public health crisis,” Mike Powers, president of NYSCOPBA, wrote.
Around 8,000 employees are included in the overtime pay and it will be retroactive to Sept. 16, applying to all registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, techs, medical assistants, aides, clerks, cleaners and other patient-facing staff.
NYSCOPBA, which also represents the state’s corrections officers in prisons, has been fighting against the mandate since the beginning.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected].