Gov. Dannel Malloy said that Tuesday's announcement by Pfizer of 1,100 layoffs in Groton is "terrible news" for the people affected. Speaking at a midday press conference at the State Armory, at which he talked about the snowstorm, Malloy disclosed that he had been briefed by the company Monday night, but had honored the firm's request not to talk about it until Pfizer made its plans known Tuesday morning.
In its announcement, the pharmaceutical giant said it will shift 1,100 research jobs from Groton to Cambridge, Mass., over the next 18 months, as it seeks to speed up changes in its research and development operations.
Malloy said that in the briefing the night before, the company gave him no exact number, but instead a percentage - 25 percent - by which the workforce of 4,500 or so in Groton would be "impacted." He said he'd gotten the impression that some of the Groton workers affected would be offered transfers to the Cambridge, Mass., facility.
But when the company announced 1,100 layoffs Tuesday morning without talking about any of them being offered jobs in Cambridge, Malloy said he would need further clarification on that point; he said his administration would continue to "follow up" with the company.