With closed-door state budget talks still inconclusive, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy turned up the heat Wednesay by taking the next step to tell commissioners to prepare for layoffs of state employees.
No layoffs have been ordered, and it's possible that they might not be ordered at all. But Malloy is moving forward with his contingency plans in case the ongoing talks with the state employee unions collapse. Malloy is seeking $2 billion in savings and concessions from the unions over the next two years.
Malloy's budget director, Benjamin Barnes, sent out the notice about the potential layoffs.
"On Monday, I asked all commissioners to provide 10 percent reduction options, beyond those included in the governor's budget proposal,'' Barnes wrote to the agency heads. "It is clear that in many instances it will be impossible to achieve these levels of reduction without reducing the number of employees, both through attrition and also through lay-off. In order for your agency to make orderly plans for implementing whatever layoffs are required, I am providing the most recent guidance from the Office of Labor Relations with respect to layoff procedures by bargaining unit.''
Barnes continued, "Please be mindful that your budget reduction options accurately reflect the limitations and timing that are reflected in these agreements. OPM budget staff will assist you in accurately recognizing separation costs that may need to be reflected as offsets to your proposed savings. Benefits savings will be calculated centrally. Thank you for your efforts in completing this challenging task in a short amount of time.''
For months, Malloy has said that he wanted to avoid layoffs, but he maintained that layoffs are a real possibility if he cannot reach concessions from the 13 bargaining units in the State Employee Bargaining Agent Coalition, known as SEBAC.
Sen. Andrew Roraback, the third-ranking Senate Republican, said that layoffs are "a very unappetizing option'' that seem to be approaching quickly.
"This whole process has held in abeyance the storm that seems to be getting closer and closer,'' Roraback said in an interview. "Now, we're hearing the thunder, and the lightning is not far off.''
