Connecticut governor lays off workers, union bucks cuts

(Reuters) - Connecticut began mailing layoff notices to 4,742 public workers because their unions have not made enough cost-saving concessions, Governor Dannel Malloy said on Tuesday.

Malloy, a Democrat, is among Democratic and Republican U.S. governors demanding unionized public employees accept lower pay and benefit packages to help close state budget deficits.

"I am attempting to bring the benefits enjoyed by state employees -- wages, healthcare, and pension benefits -- more in line with those enjoyed by their counterparts in the private sector and federal workforce," Malloy said in a statement.

The public sector traditionally paid less than private employers but offered the security of iron-clad pensions.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/10/us-connecticut-layoffs-idUSTRE74969B20110510