Hartford - The Malloy administration released a final outline Thursday of the governor's so-called Plan B for laying off thousands of state employees and cutting $1.6 billion from the state's new two-year budget to make up for worker givebacks that didn't occur.

The plan, which Gov. Dannel P. Malloy can enact without legislative approval, eliminates 6,560 union and nonunion positions from state government - roughly 13 percent of the state work force. As hundreds of those positions are currently vacant and some workers are ready to retire, about 3,828 would get laid off under the governor's plan. An additional 500 workers in the legislative and judicial branches of government also could be laid off.

The budget-cutting scheme affects numerous state programs and services, and calls for closing at least four of the state's 17 full-service and partial-service DMV branches. The branches to be closed include those in Old Saybrook, Enfield, Putnam and Danbury. The remaining branches could have reduced hours of operation.

"For many people, it will mean a longer line," said Roy Occhiogrosso, the governor's senior adviser.

The governor plans to submit his plan today to Democratic leaders of the legislature. While Malloy has the authority to start making the cuts on his own, the General Assembly can choose to call itself into session and put the brakes on any part of the plan by Aug. 31. Legislators also could call a public hearing on cuts deemed controversial.

But all layoffs and cutbacks could be averted if the governor and state worker unions reach an agreement and achieve ratification of a new concessions deal to replace the one voted down last month.

Layoff notices have been trickling out for nearly two weeks; officials say it will take several more weeks before all notices are issued. Based on seniority, workers generally have two, four, six or eight weeks to leave work. However, some college professors in the state university system require a one-year notice.

Benjamin Barnes, the governor's budget chief, said Thursday that layoffs are well under way. "Quite a number went out yesterday, quite a number of them are going out today, and some others will be going out first thing in the morning," he said.

The departments of Transportation and Correction would bear a large percentage of the cuts, 884 positions and 863 positions, respectively. Fifty-seven state police troopers will be laid off.

Significant cuts also will happen in the departments of Developmental Services - 500 positions - and Mental Health and Addiction Services - 474. Some developmental services offices likely will close.

"There will be less of a safety net than there is today," Occhiogrosso said. "It's not shredded - the way it's been in some other states ... but you can't reduce government by this amount of money and this number of people without impacting the safety net."

Occhiogrosso said a list of state programs being axed will be released today.

The Malloy Plan B is a consequence of the failed ratification of a labor savings and concessions deal with 15 state unions representing about 45,000 state workers. The governor's plan cuts $704 million from the fiscal year that began July 1 and $905 million in year two to balance Connecticut's new $40.5 billion biennial budget.

"We're facing the worst fiscal crisis we've faced in decades. The governor has very few alternatives, most of them are not good," Occhiogrosso said.

Amending union bylaws

Union leaders are to decide Monday whether to loosen their bargaining coalition's bylaws governing labor contract votes. Malloy has said he won't consider any new round of talks until the unions relax the requirement that 14 of 15 unions and 80 percent of members must approve a deal for it to pass.

The concessions deal failed despite gaining the approval of 57 percent of rank-and-file union members and the support of 11 of the 15 unions.

House Minority Leader Lawrence Cafero Jr., R-Norwalk, told reporters Thursday that he found it hard to sympathize with the position Malloy is now in because the governor should have addressed the unions' stiff 80 percent rule during the months of negotiations for the failed concessions deal.

"The governor is a very confident man, and in my opinion underestimated this process and frankly, this job," Cafero said. "So when he supposedly reached a deal . he basically put up the mission accomplished sign. They were slapping fives, you saw it. And it fell apart. There wasn't any thought in his mind that this would ever happen."

House Speaker Christopher Donovan, D-Meriden, issued a statement Thursday afternoon urging the governor to re-enter negotiations with the unions for a new concessions agreement. He said the Plan B "would harm our state in significant ways."

"The interests of the state, the people of Connecticut and state employees are best served by a concessions agreement between the administration and state employees," Donovan said.

Mark Ojakian, the governor's lead negotiator, has re-entered talks with union leaders and told The Day that their discussions haven't moved beyond the unions' need to change their ratification process.

"Their bylaws have not been reviewed or changed in almost 20 years. I think they're archaic," Ojakian said. "I think the fact that 57 percent of the members voted yes and yet there was no agreement is something that has caused them much concern."

In a joint statement, Malloy and Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman said they will submit the budget-cutting plan to Democratic leaders today with reluctance.

"To be clear, this is not the road which either of us wanted to go down," they said. "But at this point, with no clear path to reach a ratified agreement . it's our job to find a way to fill the $1.6 billion hole in the budget and ensure our budget is balanced honestly."

j.reindl@theday.com