As Gov. Dannel P. Malloy brings his upcoming state budget proposal into focus, he says that to save enough money to deal with next year's projected $3.5 billion deficit, "we're going to need to make headway with our employees on returning to a sustainable system of compensation and benefit allocation."
Talking to reporters in the Capitol late Wednesday, Malloy gave no specifics with regard to concessions he may seek from unions representing 55,000 state employees -- who played a big part in boosting him to his narrow election victory Nov. 2. But with his Feb. 16 budget address to the General Assembly now less than two weeks away, Malloy said discussions with employees' union representatives "need to bear fruit right away."
The week's weather cancelled a couple of "large blocks of time" that had been set aside Tuesday and Wednesday "to have those discussions." Those talks will be rescheduled quickly, he said.