Benny Boscio Jr. is a veteran labor leader and public safety advocate with 27 years of experience as a Correction Officer, serving the City of New York and representing Correction Officers at the highest levels of government. He began his career with the New York City Department of Correction in 1999, serving in multiple frontline commands, including the Anna M. Kross Center, the Applicant Investigation Unit, the Vernon C. Bain Center, and the Bronx Courts. These assignments provided him with a comprehensive, firsthand understanding of correctional operations, workforce challenges, and the critical role Correction Officers play in maintaining public safety. 

Benny’s commitment to public service and labor advocacy led him to the Correction Officers’ Benevolent Association (COBA), where he has spent two decades advancing policies that strengthen workforce stability, officer safety, and institutional accountability. Beginning as a Delegate in 2005, he rose to the COBA Executive Board in 2010, serving as Sergeant-at-Arms and earning a reputation as a disciplined negotiator and an effective, no-nonsense labor leader.

In 2020, amid unprecedented operational, fiscal, and public safety challenges, Benny was elected President of COBA by an overwhelming margin. Now in his second term as COBA President, he oversees the union’s operations and serves as its chief negotiator, policy advocate, and one of its legislative liaisons.

Under Benny’s administration, COBA negotiated the most significant compensation package for Correction Officers in more than 15 years—an 18.77 percent compounded wage increase over five years—along with pensionable retention bonuses and post-awarded assignments. When contractually owed raises and retroactive payments were threatened with delay, Benny successfully pursued arbitration, securing a binding award that delivered full compensation to all active members.

Benny has led major enhancements to member benefits, including dental, optical, and prescription drug coverage, and has aggressively defended officers throughout the disciplinary process. COBA achieved record-setting results, including the highest number of OATH dismissals in union history, more than $5 million in recovered back pay, and unprecedented reductions in misconduct charges—reinforcing fairness and due process within the disciplinary system.

A central component of Benny’s leadership has been legislative advocacy. He has worked closely with state lawmakers to pass measures that prohibit discipline for COVID-19-related absences, provide childcare leave credit for officers caring for a new child, restore firearm carry rights for retired Correction Officers in restricted and sensitive locations, and implement the first meaningful improvements to the CF-22/Modified Tier 3 pension plan affecting officers hired after 2012. He has also introduced legislation to elevate the sexual assault of New York City Correction Officers from a misdemeanor to a felony offense, reinforcing accountability and deterrence. His leadership remains focused on strengthening recruitment and retention, modernizing benefits, protecting due process, and ensuring that Correction Officers have the resources necessary to safely perform their duties.