The union representing Chicago Transit Authority "L" operators is accusing the agency of employing scare tactics as the two sides negotiate budget cutbacks.

The CTA has issued issued federally mandated notices informing about 2,000 unionized employees that they will be laid off on Feb. 7, says Robert Kelly, president Amalgamated Transit Union Local 308.

But the CTA says it plans to lay off only 1,067 as it cuts services to close a budget gap.

Kelly says the extra notices are an intimidation tactic that is needlessly ruining the holidays for many CTA employees. 

“I’ve got 900 people out here ... worried they’re going to get laid off,” Kelly said. “It’s not right, you don’t do things like that — you don’t play with people’s lives.”

The agency declined to comment on the discrepancy between the number of notices and its earlier statements about the number of planned layoffs.