State Rep. Harding On Layoffs, The Legislative Session

First of a two-part series written by Scott Benjamin

BETHEL, CT-- State Rep. Stephen Harding (R-107) of Brookfield said although he wants to avoid laying off state employees that step “may be inevitable” to offset a $220 million budget gap for the fiscal year ending June 30 and a projected $900 million shortfall for the following year.

The Republicans in the General Assembly recently announced a deficit mitigation plan that would include furlough days for state employees, a practice that was used as recently as five years ago.

Harding said in an interview that he supports that measure since it would avoid laying off state employees.

“However, I don’t think enough is being done to address the problem in the future budget years,” he added, making reference to the larger projected deficits in the next two-year cycle.

Harding said in addition to inflicting hardship on the state employees if there are layoffs, the cost/benefit for the state might be less than expected because of the associated unemployment costs.

The legislator, who represents Brookfield, the Stony Hill section of Bethel and a tiny slice of northern Danbury, said the state should also consider adopting an enforceable hiring freeze.

He said that, for example, Gov. Dannel Malloy (D-Stamford) has announced hiring freezes since taking office in 2011 and new employees have still been added to the workforce.

Harding said the collective bargaining units for the state employees have exerted considerable power since at least 1975 when former Gov. Ella Grasso (D-Windsor Locks) failed to get concessions during her first year in office.

He said in 2011, Malloy got concessions from the state employee collective bargaining units, but some of those provisions were never realized and ultimately contributed to the current projected deficits. He noted in return for the concessions, the governor pledged not to lay off any state employees for four years.

“We [now] have an opportunity in dire straits to resolve the issue,” Harding declared. “Both the state officials and the state employees need to understand that you’re not going to get everything you want.”

It appears the legislative committees will have recommendations on possible employee layoffs in early April, since those would relate to the budget for the next fiscal year, which will start July 1.

Malloy said in his budget address February 3 that probably at least 1,000 employees would have to be laid off and that pension costs would have to be reduced.

Harding said current employees should get the pensions promised to them but that there should be fewer benefits for new hires in light of the projected budget deficits.

He said Malloy took a page out of the Republican play book on structural changes in some of his recent comments, but that he has reservations on whether he will follow through on his plans.

“The jury is still out, since he never realized the labor concessions five years ago,” Harding said. “I certainly have reservations about what he wants to do.”

However, Harding praised Malloy for holding public forums seeking input on erasing the state deficits.