Mr. Riordan had wanted the power to dismiss managers at will.

Outplacement firms, now a billion-dollar-plus business, have their fees paid by companies dismissing managers.

He continued to dismiss striking executives and managers on a daily basis; 300 were gone by early January.

Meanwhile, outplacement firms have new ways to help individual dismissed managers.

It has also dismissed or reassigned top managers at Indian Point.

Outplacement firms work for fees from companies that have dismissed managers and other employees.

The Mayor said that we - and 300 other dismissed middle managers - were "off agenda."

At present, under the old charter, the mayor must obtain Council approval in advance to dismiss general managers.

If an economic downturn forces a company to dismiss middle managers, he said, "the company has at least helped them be better prepared."

He resumed control of the team, hired and dismissed managers as always, and never backed down from controversy.