One day after starting the process toward layoffs, Gov. Dannel Malloy said Thursday that his actions should not be a signal that the closed-door talks with the state employee unions are stalled.
Malloy said the moves were made because the state needs to provide 8 weeks' advance notice to senior employees before any layoffs can begin - and the current fiscal year ends on June 30. As such, the state needs to start making preparations for possible layoffs that could begin in the next fiscal year.
Prompted by reporters' questions, Malloy rejected the idea that the layoff moves are a negotiating ploy to force the unions into an agreement.
"No, that should not be the interpretation,'' Malloy said. "The interpretation is that the calendar marches on, and because of contract language, we have to be prepared to give notices should we not reach an agreement. It is appropriate that our commissioners be aware of that and start to do early work to be prepared if the negotiations don't go well. I remain hopeful.''
For a senior employee to be notified 8 weeks before the start of the new fiscal year on July 1, the layoff notices would need to go out in May.
"That's correct,'' Malloy said of the timeframe.
When asked if he continues to be as hopeful as he was when the discussions started, Malloy responded, "Listen, I am hopeful because we are continuing to have discussions, and I will remain hopeful as long as we're having those discussions and as long as we're operating within the confines of a calendar that would allow us to develop a budget by May 6.''
The ongoing talks with the unions are crucial because Malloy is seeking $1 billion per year in savings and concessions from the unions in each of the next two years.
For each 1,000 layoffs, the state would save about $100 million in the first year and more in the second year of the two-year budget.
When asked about the possible layoffs of state troopers and prison guards, Malloy said, "I don't think there's anything being taken off the table by me'' if there is no agreement.
"I want to be very clear that we are not taking anything off the table,'' he added.
When asked to rate the actual chances for layoffs, Malloy responded, "I think that you are reading entirely too much into this at this moment. I believe in government being prepared. These discussions have gone on for a long time. Obviously, there's not an agreement yet. I'm hopeful there will be an agreement.''
He added, "I'm not sending a message. Listen, let's all take a deep breath here. I'm not sending any message other than I'm trying to lead an administration that prepares for the possibility, not the eventuality'' of layoffs.
When a television reporter said that it was a classic negotiating ploy by management, such as when corporations threaten to hire replacement employees, Malloy said, "I am absolutely not looking for replacement employees.''