Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy May Send Out Layoff Notices Next Week
HARTFORD, CT (AP / CBSNewYork) - The Malloy administration is looking into which state employees could soon receive layoff notices, preparing for the possibility that an agreement over labor savings can't be reached with Connecticut state employee unions, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said Wednesday.
WCBS 880 Connecticut Bureau Chief Fran Schneidau: Malloy Wants $2 Billion In Union Givebacks
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Malloy said the administration would need to begin sending out pink slips around the first week of May in order to realize savings for the state's new fiscal year, which begins July 1, if there's no deal in sight.
Malloy is seeking $2 billion in savings over two years. If there's no deal, Malloy said the bulk of that money would be made up by layoffs. He also said the notices could be rescinded if the savings are found.
"I want to reach an agreement, that's what I'm trying to do,'' Malloy said. "I don't want to lay off anybody.''
Malloy said he and his staff are trying to determine who would receive a layoff notice, and said some job cuts may be based on seniority, while others may be based on changes made to programs.
Larry Dorman, who heads the State Workers Coalition, said he can't he can't specifically talk about how the negotiations are going. But, he told WCBS 880 Connecticut Bureau Chief Fran Schneidau that, "We are speaking and talking intensively and in good faith because we don't want to see layoffs and that's simply just going to set Connecticut on a terrible path backwards."
Last week, the Democratic-controlled tax and spending committees passed a two-year $40.2 billion budget which raises taxes by $1.4 billion in the first year and $1.2 billion in the second. The plan included a $2 billion hole for the labor savings.
The tax and spending bills now await votes in the House of Representatives and Senate. Malloy again urged lawmakers to act quickly, saying businesses in Connecticut are looking for the budget to be solved.
Republicans have criticized the majority Democrats for considering a budget bill that has not resolved the labor issue.
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