Gov. David Paterson reiterated this morning that layoffs of state workers are “necessary” before he leaves office because the public employee unions offered his administration “nothing” in its quest to save $250 million.

Asked by WOR’s John Gambling when pink slips will start going out, the governor replied: “I would tend to think mid-November it would start.”

But the TU reported the following today:

“…The process of laying off state workers is governed by complicated and arcane rules regarding seniority and other protections. The effort appears to be creeping along in low gear, if at all.”

“Officials with the state Budget Division say they’re planning for layoffs even though there have been no memorandums or other written guidance sent to state agencies about how the cuts would proceed, or precisely when they would begin.

“‘We’re still working through that process,’” Budget spokesman Erik Kriss said.

Paterson has been sounding the layoff alarm bell for months now and consistently moving up the start date for that effort, first saying it wouldn’t take place until the start of the next governor’s term and then dropping the “before the end of my term” bomb just two days after the Sept. 14 primary.

That caused CSEA to file a grievance against Paterson, accusing him of violating the Taylor Law.

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