East Hartford-based jet-engine maker Pratt & Whitney on Friday made a final contract offer to unionized machinists that included higher pay, more retirement savings and additional days off.
On Sunday morning, the majority of more than 3,000 members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Locals 700 and 1746 rejected the offer and went on strike at midnight.
It’s the first machinist work stoppage at Pratt & Whitney 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.
“For months, we have negotiated in good faith with Pratt & Whitney in hopes of reaching a fair contract that reflects the billions in profits our members make for the company,” said Wayne McCarthy, president of IAM Local 700, which represents approximately 1,400 members at the Middletown plant. “The last offer by Pratt was an insult to the machinists who make the best jet engines in the world.”
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.
Other components of the contract include:
- 20% increase ($19) to the pension multiplier to $113 per month per year of service before eligible employees transition from a pension plan to a savings plan (company automatic contributions of $103 per week in January 2028).
- Enhanced 401(k) benefits begin in 2028, including 100% match on contributions up to $115/week and increased company automatic contributions (of $103 per week in January 2028).
- The contract also offers a 20% increase in pension benefit on June 1.
“Late (Friday) night Pratt & Whitney concluded negotiations with IAM and provided an offer that generously compensates our workforce while ensuring P&W can grow in Connecticut and stay competitive in a challenging market,” the jet-engine maker said in a statement. “Our message to union leaders has been simple: higher pay, better retirement savings, more days off and more flexibility. This is what we offered and we believe that our workforce – when given the facts – will agree. Our local workforce is already among the highest compensated in the region and the industry – this latest offer is the most substantial in more than 20 years and ensures Pratt & Whitney maintains its position as the local employer of choice in CT for years to come.”
The machinist locals represent aerospace workers who build, maintain and test aircraft engines that are used for both commercial aviation and military jets.
Union leaders said the vote, held on Sunday at the Oakdale Theater in Wallingford, signaled growing frustration with Pratt after a rally in January protested the company’s decision to force workers to take unpaid furlough days despite over $100 billion in back orders.
“This strike is about dignity, respect, job security and protecting middle-class jobs in Connecticut,” said Howie Huestis, president of IAM Local 1746, which represents over 1,600 members at the East Hartford plant. “Workers at Pratt & Whitney in Florida saw larger wage increases than they offered here. We are ready to hold the line for as long as it takes to secure a contract that recognizes the value we create every single day for the company.”
IAM leaders said they remain willing to return to the bargaining table if Pratt is “prepared to present a serious offer that values the quality and skill of its workforce.”
