COBA NYC

I recently went to see the Men & Women of our Elite E.S.U. You are ALL the BACKBONE of our agency. Don’t let anyone tell you differently. You are the ones we c...all on to save the day. You are the ones that keep us safe when a major incident occurs. Without ESU, how safe would we really be? Unfortunately, the DOC has forsaken us and turned their backs on us. Shame on those of you in the supervisory ranks that have lost your way. And, shame on those of you in ID that have never worn the uniform and have no clue how to do our jobs. YET, you are so quick to judge us. Put on a uniform and take a post before you judge one of us. I want all the members of ESU to know that COBA has your backs and we will NEVER stop fighting for you. We will continue to expose all that our agency is putting us through. Much Love & Respect to ALL the Women and Men that patrol the toughest precincts in NYCour Jails. God Bless you all!!! #WeGotYourBack #COBAEliteESU #BoldestNYC

Without a doubt, this past year has been one of the deadliest for New York’s Boldest. Since the pandemic began, nine of our members have tragically lost their lives to COVID-19 and at least 1,700 have contracted the virus, many of whom will suffer life-long health complications. COBA appreciates the leadership of Assemblyman Peter Abbate, State Senator Andrew Gounardes, Speaker Carl Heastie, Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and the votes of the legislators to extend the COVID-19 special death benefit for public employees providing critical financial relief to the families of our COBA members who have succumbed to COVID-19. President Benny Boscio Jr. and our entire COBA board urge Governor Andrew Cuomo to sign this vital piece of legislation into law immediately #BoldestUnited #NYPol

This Women's History Month, we honor the legacy and leadership of countless women who have defined what it means to be New York's Boldest. #WomensHistoryMonth #BoldestUnited

Our Annual Widows' & Children's Raffle is tomorrow! Enter to win a 15" Dell XPS Laptop or 13" Macbook Pro. All proceeds to benefit the COBA Widows' & Children's Fund. Buy your ticket here: https://cobanyc.org/product/widows-childrens-fund-ticket-0

Went to check on the Triple Tour situation on Rikers at EMTC yesterday afternoon. Officers are still going 3 hours into their 3rd shift without being afforded m...eal breaks. Commissioner Brann what are you doing about this? What were the exceptional circumstances yesterday? Why is the DOC Press Secretary allowed to lie to the public? Officers are going into Tiple shifts every day. Will your Press Secretary be suspended for lying to the Public? Did you okay that statement to the Press? Things that make you go Hmmm... @nycmayor @jumaanewilliams @BKBoroHall @AndreaSCousins @CarlHeastie @SalazarSenate @NYCSpeeakerCoJo @AOC @scottmstringer @IDaneekMiller @MarkLevineNYC @KeithPowersNYC @TishJames @PureJoyJJA #nycisnotmaine #doclies #nycboldest #cobanyc #stoptripleshifts #nycjailsincrisis #ourlivesmatter #BoldestUnited Mayor Bill de Blasio

NEW TONIGHT: COBA President Benny Boscio Jr. joined Lidia Curanaj and Former Governor David Paterson on 77 WABC radio to discuss our urgent need for more Correction Officers on Rikers Island. Until the NYC Dept. of Correction and Mayor Bill de Blasio take action to hire more COs, our members will be forced to work 24+ hour shifts. We must #StopTripleShifts NOW! #stoptripleshifts... #nycjailsincrisis #ourlivesmatter #BoldestUnited Jumaane D. Williams Andrea Stewart-Cousins Carl E. Heastie Julia Salazar See more

Look out for our full page ad today on page 13 of the New York Daily News #stoptripleshifts #nycjailsincrisis #ourlivesmatter... #BoldestUnited See more

Due to COVID-19 in-person gathering restrictions, Benny Boscio Jr. and the COBA Board invite you to join us on tomorrow at 5 PM for a Virtual Town Hall. This event will take place in lieu of our regularly scheduled membership meeting. See below to RSVP:

The time for our voices to be heard is long overdue. Keep an eye out this week for one of four newspapers with this full-page add and join us in calling on Mayor Bill de Blasio to Stop Triple Shifts #StopTripleShifts #NYBoldest #BoldestUnited New York Post New York Daily News The Chief-Leader ... City and State NY See more

Please see the announcement below regarding an important virtual town hall discussing the latest information on the COVID-19 vaccine. I encourage all to attend. 1. THE CITY OF NEW YORK’S VACCINE COMMAND CENTER IS INVITING ALL DOC STAFF TO JOIN A VIRTUAL TOWN HALL EVENT, FEATURING DR. JAY VARMA, SENIOR PUBLIC HEALTH ADVISOR TO THE MAYOR, FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION ABOUT THE COVID-19 VACCINE. THIS WILL BE AN EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY FOR DOC STAFF TO LEARN ABOUT THE VACCINES, VACCI...NE SAFETY, AND HOW/WHERE THEY ARE BEING DISTRIBUTED AND HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS. 2. WE ENCOURAGE ALL STAFF TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS EVENT. IT WILL BE HELD ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS TO ACCOMMODATE VARYING SCHEDULES: FRIDAY, JANUARY 15TH AT 11AM TUESDAY, JANUARY 19TH AT 1PM WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20TH AT 7PM THURSDAY, JANUARY 21ST AT 6PM MONDAY, JANUARY 25TH AT 6PM DIAL THIS NUMBER AT THE TIME OF THE CALL: 866-976-6361. IF YOU HAVE ANY ISSUES DIALING IN, PLEASE TRY THIS NUMBER INSTEAD: 443-456-9000. 3. YOU CAN ALSO SUBMIT QUESTIONS IN ADVANCE BY VISITING THE LINK BELOW BY 8AM ON THE DAY OF THE BRIEFING YOU PLAN TO ATTEND: https://airtable.com/shrhaAU23SicSuKnb

FYI: The City of New York’s Vaccine Command Center is inviting you to join a virtual town hall event, featuring Dr. Jay Varma, Senior Public Health Advisor to the Mayor, for the latest information about the COVID-19 vaccine. This will be an excellent opportunity for New York City staff to learn more about the vaccines, vaccine safety, and how/where they are being distributed and have the opportunity to ask questions. This event will be held on multiple occasions to accommodat...e varying employee schedules. Friday, January 15th at 11am Tuesday, January 19th at 1pm Wednesday, January 20th at 7pm Thursday, January 21st at 6pm Monday, January 25th at 6pm Questions will be accepted in advance, and Dr. Varma and DOHMH staff will address as many as possible during the event. Please submit your questions through this link by 8am on the day of the briefing you plan to attend. Dial-in here at the time of the call: 866-976-6361. If you have any issues dialing in, please try this number instead: 443-456-9000. As always, we are grateful for your service to New York City during this unprecedented crisis, and we thank you for your dedication and partnership as we work to end the COVID-19 pandemic. Ahead of the event, to learn more: NYC Vaccine Command Center: nyc.gov/vcc DOHMH vaccine website: nyc.gov/covidvaccine For groups eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccine: nyc.gov/covidvaccinedistribution Vaccine site locations for eligible New Yorkers: https://vaccinefinder.nyc.gov/ Vaccine appointment phone number: 877-VAX-4NYC Eligibility Flyer: https://www1.nyc.gov//covid-19-vaccine-eligibility-1b-flye Vaccine Fact Sheet: What New Yorkers Need to Know About COVID-19 Vaccines" Our vaccine media campaign is live! Use our social media kit to amplify these important messages, including #IGotTheShotNYC and #NYCVaccineForAll See more

Our Fight Continues: Watch and share COBA’s latest video, exposing the NYC Dept. of Correction’s inhumane policy of forcing Correction Officers to work triple shifts, missing meals, missing sleep, and jeopardizing their health during the pandemic. This must end NOW! http://stoptripleshifts.com #stoptripleshifts #nycjailsincrisis #ourlivesmatter

COBA’s lobbyists and government relations team regularly monitor proposed legislation at both the state and city levels to assess whether certain bills contain provisions that could be harmful to COBA Members. Concerning Assembly Bill 1914, our lobbyists have tracked this legislation since it was originally introduced in June, 2020. The bill reflects an emotional statement that is shared by all familiar with the death of George Floyd, which all of us can agree was a horrific ...tragedy. That being said, we believe that a sweeping legislative effort to terminate police officers and peace officers, like Correction Officers, as a result of this tragedy will unjustifiably destroy the careers of many officers who find themselves in a Use of Force incident for reasons beyond their control or in the event they are attacked by an inmate or forced to break up an inmate on inmate fight. Despite the fact that the bill purports to assign an immediate termination following an incident involving the use of force, there are structural protections in the law for police officers and peace officers, like correction officers, subject to the proposal. Penal Law 35.30 is effectively a defense that is raised in response to criminal charges. In order to determine that an act violates 35.30, the defense would need to be rejected in a criminal prosecution. That process is steeped in due process of law. Nonetheless, we are working with all police and peace officers to educate the sponsors and all legislators of the potential for abuse this proposal could generate. The fact of the matter is that we live in an environment where we face physical interactions and Use of Force incidents every day. This legislation would suggest that we stop and read the Penal Law and seek judicial permission prior to responding to the incidents which are in the normal course of our work. There is no doubt that this legislation, if signed into law, would lead to the death and injury of Correction Officers. We will continue our vigorous fight to stop the legislation. See more

Thanks to COBA’s continued efforts to protect you and your families from COVID-19, we are pleased to share with you the latest information provided by the Department of Correction concerning where you can receive a non-mandatory COVID-19 vaccination if you wish. Please see information detailed below.

Enter to win a 15" Dell XPS Laptop or 13" Macbook Pro in our Annual Widows' & Children's Raffle Tickets! All proceeds to benefit the COBA Widows' & Children's Fund https://cobanyc.org/product/widows-childrens-fund-ticket-0

Albany Legislators Join COBA’s Fight to Protect Our Members with COVID-19 related Chronic Absences! On behalf of NYC’s Boldest, I want to express our deepest gratitude to Senator Diane Savino and Assemblyman Peter Abbate for co-sponsoring this landmark legislation that will prevent public employers in the State of New York from taking any disciplinary action against any public employee, including NYC Correction Officers, who followed the CDC’s guidelines and quarantined after testing positive for COVID-19 or came in contact with someone who did. #essentialnotexpendable #COBAFIGHTSBACK

On behalf of NYC’s Boldest we thank NYC Council Member Mark Levine & City Council Member Keith Powers and the other 16 City Council Members who joined COBA’s fight to get the chronic absence denials due to Covid-19 by the DOC overturned #essentialnotexpendable #boldestunited Mayor Bill de Blasio

The Executive Board and President Benny Boscio frequently visit various facilities, including on midnight tours, to speak with our officers and answer their work-related questions. We will continue this effort to stay connected with you. #BoldestUnited #COBA100Days

The Mayor and Council are putting our COs and inmates at risk by making social distancing impossible. Tell Mayor Bill de Blasio to stop closing jails and to protect us from the rise in Covid cases!

COBA has retained a new digital marketing firm to influence public opinion on social media concerning key issues affecting COBA members. #BoldestUnited #COBA100Days

COs put their lives on the line every day, especially during the Covid-19 outbreak, but when it comes time for NYC to meet their financial obligations to our hardworking Officers, they continue to treat us poorly and let us down. This is unacceptable and we will fight back!

President Benny Boscio appeared in over a dozen news stories. Issues addressed include the prevention of layoffs, reinvesting in and enhancing our current jails instead of building new ones, and preparing the jails for the 2nd wave of COVID-19. #BoldestUnited #COBA100Days

As jails close and density increases, it is impossible to keep up with CDC guidelines and stop the spread. The mayor claimed COs being forced into 24-hour shifts was a "dumb managerial mistake", but continues to put our Officers in harm’s way with his dangerous policies. Check out the updated CDC guidelines, which clearly state the need for social distancing between all inmates and COs. https://www.cdc.gov//commu/correction-detention/index.html

It’s outrageous to deny Officer Saltalamacchia and many others like him. To deal with what he had to deal with, and to now have a blemish on recordit adds insult to injury. - COBA President Benny Boscio Jr. Under Benny’s leadership, COBA filed a class action grievance to get denials like Officer Saltalamacchia’s overturned.

Read COBA President Benny Boscio Jr.'s testimony before the New York City Council on September 21, 2020 about the DOC'S management of COVID-19 in the City's jails #BoldestUnited #COBA100Days https://www.cobanyc.org///files/Benny-boscio-testimony.pdf

CO’s lives are at risk when dangerous housing policies lead to an uptick in gang violence. Every day that NYC doesn't take action puts our COs in more danger. Mayor de Blasio keep our COs safe!

With a $9 Billion deficit & the devastating impact that could have on essential services, essential workers & 1st responders, is this really the time for @nycmayor to spend billions of taxpayer dollars on designs for new jails? We need safer jails now. We’re essential, not expendable!