By Daniela Altimari
The Hartford Courant
HARTFORD, Conn. — The drumbeat of looming state employees is growing louder with Department of Correction Commissioner Scott Semple informing employees that nearly 150 workers will lose their jobs.
Semple sent a letter to unionized correction employees Thursday laying out the bad news.
“I regret to inform you that 147 Department of Correction employees are to be laid off,’' Semple wrote.
Due to “bumping rights” and other rules, the layoff process is a complicated one, Semple said, and actually sending out the notices could take some time. He estimated the notification process would begin in mid-April.
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has said state employee layoffs are a near certainty due to the state’s budget deficit, but he has not provided a number.
However state lawmakers have said there could be up to 2,000 layoffs and retirements.
Malloy’s spokesman Devon Puglia said no other commissioners have sent similar memos that he is aware of.
Copyright 2016 The Hartford Courant