NEW YORK STATE (WENY) -- March 8th marks day 20 of the ongoing state-wide corrections officer strike.

Members of NYSCOPBA, the corrections officers union, received a letter on Saturday, updating them on the negotiations between NYSCOPBA and the state.

The memo states that the State and NYSCOPBA met on March 7th, beginning at 8 p.m., to continue negotiations on an immediate resolution to the strike. Officials met until 1:15 a.m., and a deal couldn't be met.

NYSCOPBA said that they provided in advance a combination of the previously agreed consent award and several terms from the MOA unilaterally proposed by Department of Corrections and Community Supervision Commissioner Martuscello on Friday night.

As WENY News reported on February 27th, the New York State Department of Corrections and NYSCOPBA, the officers union, agreed to a consent award to end the strike. However, that deal was rejected by an overwhelming majority of officers on strike. They said that deal was made without them, and that they were not included in negotiations. A consent award does not require ratification by union members to be legally binding.  However, officers said they would not agree to the terms, and remained on the picket line.

Some of those officers said the deal did not address the safety demands that caused them to strike in the first place.

NYSCOPBA said the most recent negotiations ended poorly, because of the state's refusal to ensure that health insurance coverage would be made retroactive to the date of the first AWOL for those who had their coverage terminated. NYSCOPBA insisted that this must be part of any agreement arrived at between the parties. The State was adamant that it would not move off of its position. NYSCOPBA then asked to bring back the mediator to help resolve this issue, at which point the State terminated negotiations.

NYSCOPBA said it continues to condemn the strike, and demands that all staff immediately return to the facility while the union continues to fight.

According to NYSCOPBA, the plan moving forward, unless or until the State returns to the table with a reasonable offer, is to direct that members return to the facility while NYSCOPBA continues to file the lawsuits necessary to protect membership rights.

The state-wide strike began on February 17th, starting at Collins and Elmira Correctional Facilities before expanding to 40 others across New York. The state National Guard was brought in to assist with running the facilities during the strike.

Many officers have called for complete repeal of the HALT Act, saying the law creates dangerous conditions inside prison facilities for both corrections staff and other incarcerated people.