EX-FDNY firefighters suing NYC claim they were forced to work unpaid OT: ‘They just abuse you’

Two former FDNY firefighters have filed a class-action lawsuit against the city, claiming they were required to work up to 30 unpaid hours a week at the training academy, where they were forced to do humiliating tasks.

William H. Payne and Brandon Keeney were forced to arrive 90 minutes to two hours before their scheduled start time and often pulled 12-hour shifts, according to their Manhattan Supreme Court lawsuit.

The pair, who are no longer with the department, were only paid for 40 hours a week, they claimed.

William H. Payne said he was terminated after complaining about being forced to work unpaid hours. Obtained by The New York Post

“I don’t know about you but slavery is over. I can’t work for free,” said Payne, 36, who served at Ladder 24 in Midtown until he was axed in September 2023.

The FDNY declined to say why Payne was fired.

“They would let us know when it ended. It wasn’t like you could tell your family, ‘I’ll be home at this time,’ because you never actually knew,” he said.

They repeatedly complained about the unpaid work, Payne said.

“When you start to speak up for yourself that’s when you’re deemed a problem,” said Payne, who claimed he was canned because of his complaints.

During their unpaid hours, cadets were frequently forced to go up on a stage and do push-ups or clean bathrooms, stairs and the kitchen used by more senior firefighters.

“No employer – not even the FDNY – is immune from laws that protect workers against wage theft,” said the former firefighters’ attorney. J.C. Rice

Phones “were strictly prohibited. They do not want this getting out to the public,” said Keeney, 34, who served at Engine Company 299 in Fresh Meadows until January 2023.

The academy was “aggressive” and abusive, claimed the one-time city correction officer.

“They called us ‘weirdos,’ and freaked over very minute stuff. They just abuse you right from the git go,” the married dad of an infant told The Post. “To me, who actually came from a law enforcement background, it was 10 times more intense.

“It’s to break you down,” said Keeney, who left the department voluntarily in October.

Brandon Keeney left the FDNY in October. Obtained by The New York Post

“No employer – not even the FDNY – is immune from laws that protect workers against wage theft,” said attorney Tanvir H. Rahman, who reps the pair.

The Uniformed Firefighters Association has been pushing for more paid hours for firefighters who show up early for shifts to let their coworkers clean gear and shower, a serious issue given the contaminants smoke-eaters are frequently exposed to, said union president Andrew Ansbro, who declined to comment on any issues involving the academy.

A city Law Department spokesman declined to comment on the allegations, and said, “We will review the case when served and respond in the litigation.”