Was working 6x9 night before strike. Received phone call from division to call all off duty members to report for duty 9AM tour next morning. E82/L31 majority of members actually voted not to strike. I myself didn't believe that the strike would happen. All but one or two members of 82/31 were in the kitchen at 0900. At 0900 the strike was on. About half of the members walked out of qtrs to picket the house. The remaining members then said "we can't let half the guys put their jobs on the line for the rest of us." With that the remaing members walked out. The dispatchers did a voice alarm roll-call of the Bx houses asking who was in service, not single company if I remember right. Because of the 82 book a T V crew came to qtrs and began interviewing members on the stike line. Dennis Smith showed up and gave an interview. Around 1100 a engine from the division of training showed up manned by probies. The members wouldn't alow the engine to back into qtrs. That prompted a number of police officers from the 41st Pct. to show up with the Captain in command. It was agreed that for safety sake the proby engine would be allowed to respond from outside of qtrs. The Captain told me that if any of the striking members hindered any response by the proby engine they will be arrested. The chief in charge of our house ordered myself and the other officers to drive and respond with our apparatus. We refused based on safety as none of use, except one, was chauffeur trained. The proby engine responde to 3 or 4 boxes, no work. 82/31 missed about 11 other runs with no response, no work. The Bx those days would "wake" up around 2 or 3PM. Would get busier as the day went with the real jumping from about 1500 to 0200. Strike ended at 1300 hours. The guys were putting their gear on the rigs when a box came in, went to all-hands. That's how close it came to being a real Bx tragedy. Before I left qtrs there was 3 all-hand goild in the Bx.
No one was fired. All of us, the officers included because we refused to drive, were fined 2 days pay. I was ordered to give 6 names to the division for a penal transfer. I refused, was told I had 24 hours to do so. The unions then went to bat and reached a facesaving agreement that the names submitted would be to a company of their choice. Five of my guys stepped up, two were on the Lt's list and 3 had had enough of the work. I had to give one name myself. I had one real jackass in the company, so his name went in. The unions filed a suit and it was settled months later that the men lifted cound come back, if they wanted to. The 5 who stepped up said "no thanks." Guess who I got back.
