Governor Malloy is making it clear that layoffs are pending and he is setting the narrative that the Unions don't want to help solve the budget issues. This is comical as State employees have given hundreds of millions over the past 6 years. We would like to think that the governor respects the sacrifices our members have already made in the agreement he negotiated in 2011 and that cuts and layoffs will only damage Connecticut’s economy.
The truth is that the Unions have not had discussions with the Governor, nor have the Unions turned down a meeting with the Governor, nor are we likely to turn down a meeting with the Governor. We are anxious to hear how layoffs and service cuts can possibly help the middle and working class people struggling against a rigid economy, and what he will do about the thousands of private sector layoffs that will result from his plans to cut public services.
His message on the airwaves is that "the Unions won't help", recognize that this is misinformation he is feeding to further irritate the public.
On that note, a very recent poll showed that the public actually has a favorable rating of State Employees! (we always knew the public had no reason to dislike us).
While we wait for him to decide when he is ready to talk, let's continue to call our legislators and let them know that State employee layoffs are not an acceptable answer to the silly budget he has set forth. We have opportunities to meet with our legislators every Saturday in March so let’s turn out for these events…and on April 4th we will march on the Capital, mark your calendar, save the date!
SEBAC issued a press release in response to the Governor's call for deeper cuts and more layoffs.
-3/10/16