Elected officials have rallied to support striking machinists at East Hartford-based jet-engine maker Pratt & Whitney.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal is scheduled to visit a picket line Monday at lunchtime, after workers went on strike at midnight.
“I stand with Pratt machinists in fighting for basic workplace fairness – decent, well-deserved pay, pensions and job security,” Blumenthal posted to social media. “Workers need long term certainty in jobs and income to make the American dream real.”
About 77% of more than 3,000 members of IAM Locals 700 and 1746 voted to go on strike during a rally Sunday.
“Record company profits and an increasing market demand for these engines are a testament to the hard work of our region’s machinists and engineers,” said Rep. John Larson (D-CT1), whose district covers the Pratt headquarters in East Hartford. “When RTX employees in Florida are being offered larger raises, the skilled and reliable workforce with a long history of making the best engines in the world here in Connecticut should be treated equally for their labor.”
Meanwhile Rep. Rosa DeLauro issued a statement saying:
“These highly skilled workers help power one of Connecticut’s most critical industries – contributing directly to our state’s economic strength and ultimately, our national defense. I am hopeful that an agreement can be reached that reflects the immense value these workers bring to Pratt & Whitney every day.”
The strike is the first work stoppage by machinists at the company since 2001, according to the unions.
The union workers at Pratt’s Middletown and East Hartford plants say the contract proposal offered inadequate wage increases, weakened their retirement benefits, increased their health insurance costs, and lacked job security commitments.
According to Pratt & Whitney, its best and final offer included annual wage increases between 3% and 4% over the next three years, as well as a $5,000 bonus for ratifying the contract.
Pratt & Whitney, which is a subsidiary of Raytheon Technologies, said the contract offers an average base and overtime pay increase of $38,341 over three years, plus the signing bonus.
The company issued a statement Monday saying the offer competitively compensates the workforce while ensuring the company can grow in an increasingly competitive marketplace.
“Our message to union leaders throughout this thoughtful process has been simple: higher pay, better retirement savings, more days off and more flexibility,” the statement continued. “Our local workforce is among the highest compensated in the region and the industry – our offer built on that foundation. We have no immediate plans to resume negotiations at this time and we have contingency plans in place to maintain operations and to meet our customer commitments.”
