7-1-75...NYC LAYOFFS.

[68jk09]

40 years ago many FDNY BROTHERS & other City workers had to go home & tell their Families they were out of a job...a real shame that never should have happened !

 

[Parkave32]

If I remember correctly tomorrow is the 40th anniversary of the closing of a whole lot of companies throughout the city. I believe it was July 2nd to July 4th for most, and some were closed until November the 22nd I think, and some never re-opened. I was a very dark time in  the city

 

[CVILLE7111]

My father was a Lieutenant, working that day.  He said it was the hardest thing he had to do in his FDNY career, advising his Brothers to turn in their badge.

 

[STAjo]

Dark Days Indeed. I was hoping to become a NYC FF in those days, So were People on Lists, and People already in Firehouses !

When time had come around again, I was already into 'other things'. 

 

[nfd2004]

The closing of these companies happened in the peak of the FDNY War Years. It was a time of a staggering number of rising fires. Every kind of fires but most serious during a time of the highest number of building fires in the history of the department. As I remember the FDNY closed about 50 companies, including all "second sections" in the busiest of neighborhoods. The TCUs were closed also along with the manning assigned to the Super Pumper and (3) Satellite Units.

Trash and garbage was building up on the hot city streets because Sanitation Workers were also laid off. Teachers, janitors, police officers were all affected. The bottom had fallen out in the largest city in the country. It is a time that most New Yorkers who were around, will not forget.

I think there was about 300 firefighters who were laid off. The very busy Squad 2 which operated out of Engines 73, 82, and 85 was one of the companies that was closed. The father of this site owner "jbendick" was reassigned to Engine 75 on Jerome Ave at that time a much slower engine company in the Bronx

 

[lucky]

I was the junior man in my house after the layoffs. I had 6 years in plus 2 years army time. We had a dozen members laid off permanently and several others for the three days. It took several years for the members to return, many of them in other units and others as HUD firemen who were partially paid by the federal government to do additional salvage work at the scene. Some of them drove buses in Manhattan and the Bronx. We all pooled some money each pay to help them out. We were also ordered on overtime while members were laid off.

 

[68jk09]

I was not laid off because i was a Vet but came very close.....awhile before July 1 the City said all Vets must report to City Personnel in Manhattan to verify their Vets status...a FF in my house said F%%K them we already proved our Vets status when we were hired so we did not go down....in the early days of July the lay off numbers kept rising & one afternoon as myself & the FF who said we don't have to show them anything & another Vet were all working in the House.....the Boss got a call saying there is another layoff list on tonights order & several of your FFs are on it .....are'nt any of them Vets ?.....the Boss said yes several are....he was told if they are not at City Pers by 1700 today they are laid off....the Boss told us & said get down there now ( luckily back then we had 6 & 6 in the E&T ) it was 1530 already.....we left qtrs & ran & jumped on the El & went to Manhattan running through the street to the Pers Office & got there w/just enough time to verify our status....our names were on the order that night but it was cancelled before we were due to work again.....it was a funny story looking back but what was NOT funny was seeing the other BROTHERS who were screwed over.....Never say Never !....here is an excerpt from the UFA later that month....... QUOTE .. From the UFA :
1975: The City's fiscal problems worsen; more than 40,000 city workers are laid off, including 1,600 firefighters. However, 700 are hired back within three days. The UFA continues to provide health, hospital and dental care to these members and their families. The union also is instrumental in getting Federal jobs for 250 brothers and in having another 300 hired in temporary jobs as bus drivers for the Transit Authority..UNQUOTE.