Thousands of machinists at Pratt & Whitney have gone on strike on Monday.
Union officials said over 3,000 members of Machinist (IAM) Locals 700 and 1746 are on strike at Pratt & Whitney’s Middletown and East Hartford plants.
They are reportedly citing inadequate wage increases, weakening of their retirement benefits, rising health insurance costs and a lack of 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.
“This strike is about dignity, respect, job security and protecting middle-class jobs in Connecticut,” Howie Huestis, President of IAM Local 1746, added in part. “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.”
Pratt & Whitney released a statement about the strike saying:
“Pratt & Whitney’s offer competitively compensates our workforce while ensuring P&W can grow in an increasingly competitive marketplace, creating ongoing economic opportunity in the state of Connecticut. Our message to union leaders throughout this thoughtful process has been simple: higher pay, better retirement savings, more days off and more flexibility.”
“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.”
Governor Ned Lamont and Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz released a joint statement about the vote to strike saying:
“Pratt and Whitney is a world leader in manufacturing aircraft engines because of their amazing workers, who are critical to the success of our nation’s manufacturing future. We strongly encourage the company’s leadership and the machinists union to come together to reach a fair deal that is negotiated in good faith.”
The strike started at midnight on Monday.
