City of Bridgeport, Connecticut

Another 51 city employees are being laid off as officials continue cutting costs to plug a $20 million deficit and avoid a possible state takeover of city finances. So far, Mayor Bill Finch has laid off 73 workers and eliminated or refused to fill 98 positions. With the latest round of layoffs, 222 jobs will have either been eliminated or left unfilled. The 51 workers who received layoff notices are all members of the National Association of Government Workers [NAGE], the city's second largest union with 637 members. The employees work throughout City Hall, including the planning and zoning office, the City Clerk's office and the records department at the Police Department, which is facing a serious reduction in its workforce.