NEW BRITAIN, Conn. (AP) — Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's administration had not yet formally agreed Wednesday to a request from state employee union leaders to restart talks after a union savings and concessions deal failed. The governor said he first needs to know how they now plan to pass an agreement.
Asked if he'd be willing to have his chief labor negotiator talk with the State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition, he unenthusiastically responded, "I suppose."
But the Democratic governor said he's currently pressing ahead with plans to lay off approximately 6,500 state employees and make the wide-ranging budget cuts that are needed to balance the new, two-year, $40.1 billion state budget without the anticipated $1.6 billion in labor savings.
"I'm working really hard at going in the other direction, which is doing what we have to do to be in the position to execute the budget in its present form," he said, referring to the $1.6 billion gap. Malloy has until July 15 to submit his proposed reductions to the General Assembly.
On Tuesday, SEBAC leaders sent Malloy a letter asking to "reconvene discussions" with the administration to come up with a plan to somehow stop the looming layoffs. Some state employees have already begun to receive pink slips, but many are not expected to leave the state's payroll until September because of various notification requirements and the process of senior employees being able to "bump" less senior co-workers and remain employed.
Malloy said he doesn't want to lay off workers, saying it would further harm Connecticut's economy. However, he said he needs assurances from the union leaders they can pass an agreement this time. Malloy has said he will not agree to renegotiate the deal reached with union leaders, which promised four years of no layoffs in return for a three-year wage freeze and changes in pension and health benefits. Malloy has said he's open to clarifying the deal to members, however.
"It's not as if I'm not desirous of finding a solution. But again, we've got to understand what the road to an approval process is, because clearly it hasn't worked," he said. "It doesn't have to be written on stone, but there's got to be an expressed willingness to find a way to get to an approval process where the majority of the folks, if they vote for it, their decision is the decision."
Union leaders, who represent about 45,000 state employees, have been struggling to find a way to avoid the layoffs after the deal was rejected by only four of the 15 SEBAC unions, or 57 percent of those who cast votes. Under the coalition's current bylaws, at least 14 of the 15 unions have to vote to support any changes to the coveted, 20-year health and retirement benefit agreement that's in place until 2017.
Last week, the same leaders rejected a motion to amend the coalition's bylaws to retroactively affect the vote, saying they wanted to respect the wishes of their members who opposed the deal. However, they did adopt a resolution to consider future changes to the bylaws that would govern future labor agreements. Those bylaws were still being reviewed.
"Our preference is to begin discussions with the administration in the meantime. Some of the governor's reported press comments suggest a willingness to do that," said Matt O'Connor, a SEBAC spokesman. "Given how much is at stake for the economy, for the critical public structures upon which the economy depends, and for our members and the services they provide, we think time is working against all of us."
Legislation passed during last week's special session gives union leaders until Aug. 31 to ratify an agreement. If they do, the temporary, additional budget-cutting authority lawmakers granted Malloy would become moot.
Malloy participated Wednesday in a topping-off ceremony for a new police station under construction in New Britain.
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