Hartford (AP) — A federal appeals court says former Gov. John Rowland's administration violated state employees' constitutional rights when it laid off 2,800 workers based on their union membership in 2003.

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York ruled that workers' First Amendment right of freedom of association was violated and ordered a lower court to decide on an award for the employees. Friday's ruling overturned a lower court decision in favor of the Rowland administration.

Rowland and his aides sought about $450 million in union concessions in 2002 and told union leaders that if they didn't agree to the demands about 3,000 unionized workers would be laid off.

Many of the 2,800 laid-off employees eventually returned to work, but not all returned to the same positions or pay grades.