Demotions on tap instead of layoffs?

UPDATE- The Concord Monitor's Shira Schoenberg has more solid numbers on the layoffs and demotions planned by the Governor's Office.

Gov. John Lynch announced this afternoon that he will lay off 250 state employees, and reassign 60 more to lower-paid positions. Layoff notices are starting to be sent out today, and will continue throughout the week

The Union Leader's Tom Fahey reports that Governor John Lynch plans to layoff or transfer 300 state workers by the end of the month in an attempt to save the $25 million in personnel costs mandated by the state budget.

Lynch said he is acting on a choice he warned about throughout the last several months of contract talks with the State Employees' Association. A vote by SEA members to reject a proposed contract that contained a mandatory furlough plan made layoffs unavoidable.

“It’s going to be a difficult time for the affected state employees,” Lynch said. “The opportunity was there to avoid this situation.”

Before the State Employees Association voted down the state's contract offer, Lynch had said up to 750 workers could be laid off. Fahey does not report how many workers would be laid off, and how many would be demoted. Obviously, cutting employees' pay saves much less money than firing them and leaving those positions vacant.