HARTFORD--A small group of state employees stopped by the Legislative Office Building on Wednesday with letters. Their goal is to convince Gov. Dan Malloy to rescind over 200 layoff notices sent out to date, and to reconsider laying off hundreds of more state employees.
“I voted for you. I didn't expect this of you. I expected better,” said Wendy Shortell, a longtime employee at the Department of Developmental Services.
She’s been upset for a while. Now, she's furious because 200 state workers were laid off in the last few days.
Shortell said of Malloy, “He's attempting to balance the budget on the backs of the most vulnerable citizens of the state."
Shortell and other state union workers are trying to get the message across to Malloy that they're still feeling the effects of budget cuts that occurred about five years ago and caused furloughs, and they can't afford anymore.
Darnell Ford, who's worked for the Department of Children and Families for 17 years, says it's been a stressful few days as people have been forced to walk away from a job involving the well-being of Connecticut's children.
Ford said, “It's hard to deal with when you know it's gonna effect kids who've made great progress. I know people that I've worked with in different areas of the facility have lost their jobs and it's unfortunate. It sends a ripple effect through the environment.”