Malloy Says Some Unions May Sue, But The Law Is On His Side

Some state union members are upset that they may revote on a contract they've already rejected.  And as WNPR’s Jeff Cohen reports, Governor Dannel Malloy says those workers could sue – but he doesn’t think they’d win.

 

As negotiators for Malloy and state unions continued to try and figure out a way to avoid layoffs, the governor told reporters that he’s got no guarantee that angry state workers won’t try to block an agreement in court.  That said, he’s studied the relevant law and he thinks it’s on his side.

 

“Am I losing sleep about it? The answer is no.  Is there a surety in anything?  The answer is no.  But, you know, if you look at the bulk of the law, I happen to be a lawyer, if you look at the bulk of the law, I think it’s pretty straightforward.”

 

Last month, state workers rejected a deal that would have closed the state’s deficit by freezing pay and scaling back some health and pension benefits.  The deal also included a four-year guarantee of no layoffs.

 

Since then, the union eased its voting rules and has called for another vote – this time, fewer unions and union members would have to approve the agreement for it to pass.

 

The governor said he’s not changing the terms of his agreement with the unions. Should an agreement be ratified, Malloy said there would be good news.

 

“Almost all of the union represented jobs could be saved.”

 

Should one not be ratified, the governor said he expects there to be even more layoffs in years to come.

 

For WNPR, I’m Jeff Cohen.