Leaders from the state employee unions will hold a closed-door meet on Monday in hopes of saving thousands of jobs after rejecting a concessions deal reached with Gov. Dannel Malloy.
Part of Malloy's plan to balance the state budget is to cut 6,560 jobs. This includes 4,328 layoffs and retirements, eliminating 1,599 vacant positions and cancelling 133 durational jobs and per diems.
One possibility union leaders are considering on Monday is changing union bylaws, which requires that no more than one union unit turn down a deal. It that passed, unions could again vote on the concessions package.
As the unions try to work out there own deal, the governor has presented the $40.1 billion budget plan to the General Assembly.
Malloy's top adviser, Roy Occhiogrosso, said the state doesn't have the luxury of waiting for unions to come up with a deal to make cuts and, from Malloy's perspective, the outlook that they will appears grim.
“It's not something that the governor's counting on having happen. If it happens, then we'll revisit it at that point, but at this point, this is the budget we have, Roy Occhiogrosso, said.
The plan presented last week includes closing the Danbury, New Britain, Old Saybrook, Putnam and Enfield branch offices of the state Department of Motor Vehicles and closing the state's two ferries.
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A public meeting on the ferries was on Sunday night and residents of Hadlyme expressed their frustration with this budget crisis.
“I can't believe they would close this down. It's historical. It brings tourism. It makes people happy and, at this (point in) time, when so many people are out of work, you can get across the river for $3,” Cornelia Chapin, of Hadlyme, said.
Unions have until September to come up with a concessions package. In the meantime, the budget plan is being executed.
