in the building trades to 25%. In response, Brennan issued a directive forbidding local authorities from exceeding the requirements of approved hometown plans and required states and cities to obtain the approval of the Secretary of Labor for plans affecting federal contracts. Furthermore, he froze federal funding for all building work in New York City until the city returned to the New York Plan. The federal government won the ensuing legal battle, and New York City's fiscal crisis meant that it had to abandon its affirmative action plans. The Watergate crisis meant that the Nixon administration was unable to do much other than focus on survival. Brennan was unable to develop new initiatives during Nixon's truncated second term. President Gerald Ford instituted a general housecleaning among Cabinet officers, and asked Brennan to resign. Brennan did so on February 6, 1975, leaving in March. Ford offered to nominate Brennan to be ambassador to Ireland, but Brennan declined the offer. Later years Peter Brennan returned to his union position in March 1975 and retired in 1992. Brennan succeeded in negotiating wages rises and expanding training and job opportunities. Civil rights advocates criticized him for not having taken enough action against the discrimination of Black and Hispanic workers by the building unions; Brennan defended himself arguing that it had not been possible to act faster due to the resistance of the traditionally white construction trades. Brennan died of lymphatic cancer on October 2, 1996 at his daughter's home in Massapequa, New York. He was interred in Saint Charles Cemetery in Farmingdale, Long Island, New York. See also Building and Construction Trades Department, AFL-CIO References Ambrose, Stephen. Nixon: the Triumph of a Politician 1962-1972. Simon & Schuster, 1989. Asbury, Edith Evans. "Pension Controls Ease as U.S. Law Takes Effect." New York Times. January 1, 1975. Bigart, Homer. "Huge City Hall Rally Backs Nixon's Indochina Policies." New York Times. May 21, 1970. Bigart, Homer. "War Foes Here Attacked By Construction Workers." New York Times. May 9, 1970. "Brennan Is Reactivating Unit on Labor Training." New York Times. July 28, 1974. "Brennan Is Slated as Envoy to Ireland." New York Times. January 3, 1975. "Brennan to Head Building Council." New York Times. October 17, 1957. Delaney, Paul. "U.S. Set to Restrict State Hiring Plans." New York Times. June 24, 1973. Farrell, William. "NAACP to Fight U.S. Hiring Order." New York Times. September 23, 1973. Fink, Gary