New York fired more than 2,000 prison guards Monday for failing to return to work after a weekslong wildcat strike that crippled the state’s correctional system, but said enough officers had come back on the job to declare the illegal work stoppage over.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has barred prison guards who were fired for illegally walking off the job from being hired for other state jobs.

The return of workers signals a possible end to a job walkout that began Feb. 17 and had paralyzed the operations of dozens of correctional facilities.