Concession breakdown an across-the-board embarrassment for union leaders

Gov. Dannel Malloy is bound to see his approval ratings rise in the polls if he eventually pulls the trigger on 7,500 or 8,000 layoffs. And how embarrassed are national union figures who called Malloy the poster boy for level-headed dealings with state workers at a time of national push-back? Too bad too many self-centered veteran state employees, many of whom believe they won’t get touched in a mass layoff, can’t see the layoffs for the pink slips.

 How about this scenario, which is being contemplated by the Malloy team: Social workers in the DCF rejected the concessions, so how about wholesale shutdowns of the DCF social-worker departments, who would be replaced with private non-profits, saving the state lots of money? Those jobs would be so easy to privatize that the social workers wouldn’t know what hit them.

 The program of providing teachers in state prisons is another one that could be so easily privatized. It would almost be as if Republican Tom Foley had won the gubernatorial election after all.  And the liberal Democratic lawmakers will be sitting up there in the stands with Malloy, giving the state employees the big thumbs down.