The cash-strapped state Thruway Authority is laying off 234 employees of its 2,968 workers, a roughly 8 percent cut in its overall workforce, spokesman Dan Weiller confirmed this afternoon.

The layoffs won’t take effect until April 3, but the authority is being the bumping process now in order to account for civil service laws governing seniority.

Workers were notified of the staff reduction plan on Tuesday.

The move is expected to save $20 million, Weiller said.

The layoffs will impact 192 positions at the Thruway itself and 42 employees at the Canal Corp.

Weiller said it hasn’t been determined which areas of the state will be targeted for layoffs, but said staff reductions will be looked at agency wide and could impact all regions.

The Thruway Authority has been a financially troubled entity for years and has been criticized for its administrative overhead.

The authority’s plans to raise tolls on heavy trucks and commercial vehicles as scuttled following an outcry from the state’s business community.

Instead, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Thruway officials announced last month a multi-year cost-savings plan.

“We face ongoing fiscal challenges and we’re doing what we need to do to address them,” Weiller said.

H/t to Joe Spector at Gannett.

Update: The Civil Service Employees Association has released a statement blasting the layoffs as “strong arm tactic.”

“Governor Andrew Cuomo needs to understand that threatening layoffs, putting dedicated workers out on the street and undermining the state Thruway and Canal operations is a lousy way to promote a jobs agenda. The Governor should stop blaming workers for every situation and knock off the strong-arm tactics. He needs to keep people working if he wants any credibility on economic development.”

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