1971 NYPD Work Stoppage

The 1971 NYPD Work Stoppage occurred for five days between January 14 and January 19, 1971, when around 20,000 New York City police officers refused to report for regular duty. While officers maintained that they would continue to respond to serious crimes and emergencies, they refused to carry out routine patrolling duties, leading in some cases, to as little as 200 officers being on the street in the city.

The ostensible rationale for the refusal was the blue flu, a form of strike action where the widespread use of sick leave is used as a method to circumvent laws preventing certain workers from striking, in this case, Article 14 of the New York State Civil Service Law, better known as the Taylor Law, which forbids police officers from striking.

The stoppage resulted from the striking down of a lawsuit by the Sergeants Benevolent Association, which would have increased pay for both police and fire fighters, and entitled them to back pay up to the point of their last negotiated contract. The pay issue was eventually settled in the favor of the officers and firemen, and each participating officer was fined two days pay for each day they had violated the Taylor Law.

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