The state's chief labor negotiator walked away from talks with four government employee unions after just half an hour yesterday, and Gov. Linda Lingle warned that she could begin sending out layoff notices in coming days.

Lingle originally said she wanted to furlough state workers three days a month to meet a $730 million budget shortfall without layoffs but was rebuffed by the courts last week. She is now considering laying off as many as 2,500 employees.

Lingle's warning about layoffs notices is "just another attempt by the governor to threaten employees and threaten the public," said Randy Perreira, executive director of the Hawaii Government Employees Association.

Perreira and leaders from the United Public Workers, Hawaii State Teachers Association and the University of Hawaii Professional Assembly met yesterday at Honolulu Hale with all four Hawai'i mayors, UH President David McClain and Board of Education member John Penebacker.

Lingle's chief negotiator, state Human Resources Director Marie Laderta, left the 2 p.m. meeting soon after it began and reiterated Lingle's position that she won't come to the table until the unions present a formal proposal in response to the state position.

"We would like to see a commitment to a position," Laderta said. "The state is willing to discuss everything on the record."

Such a proposal does not need to come in written form and could be presented orally, she said.

Leaders from four government employee unions continued to meet with the mayors and education officials and said the 2 1/2 hours of talks were fruitful.

"It was time well spent," said Perreira of the HGEA. "We've had some significant conversation with the employers. We're very pleased, and we expect that things will continue in a very positive light in the days to come. There was a lot of discussion and I think a lot of progress."

In response to Lingle asking for a formal proposal, Perreira said, "Negotiations involve discussion between the parties ... It was rather unfortunate that (the Lingle administration) chose not to participate but — that's how it goes."

UHPA Executive Director J.N. Musto said Lingle's assertion that the unions have not offered written proposals is not true. UHPA itself has given management three different proposals dealing with salary alone, he said.

"We have never, even to this day, been given a formal proposal by the state," Musto said. "So it's disingenuous to say that this is the only approach."

Musto said Lingle is "trying to change the public's opinion through assertions which are not, in and of themselves, entirely a fair description of the process."

Lingle, earlier in the day, said she is meeting with the heads of state agencies to see what areas can be cut to help make up for the gap in the state general fund budget. The governor warned that shortfall could increase by as much as $135 million if the upcoming year-end revenue projection comes in short of the state Council on Revenues' forecast.

"We'll actually look at specific programs and reducing them to a level we can afford," Lingle said, adding that the cuts would be "targeted" rather than across the board.

She also said that layoff notices could be sent out by the end of the week or soon thereafter.

Lingle didn't say how many notices will be sent out. The notices require a delay of as much as 90 days before they take effect. While she said she hopes to stave off layoffs, "I need to take these steps first. I can't wait for these negotiations to wrap up."

In the past, Lingle said she may need to lay off as many as 2,500 state workers.

No date or time for another meeting was scheduled.