A wildcat strike by New York state prison guards has stretched into a third week, prompting officials to start firing workers for failing to abide by a deal to end the illegal labor action.

State officials said they had done what they legally could by issuing a tentative prison strike deal before resorting to terminations and civil contempt charges.

The strike of New York’s prisons by many corrections officers has already cost state taxpayers millions, and could end up costing millions more. That’s according to the head of Homeland Security for the state,