Pratt & Whitney Strike Is Over

WALLINGFORD/EAST HARTFORD/MIDDLETOWN, CT — The strike is over as more than 3,000 unionized Pratt & Whitney workers voted Tuesday morning in favor of a tentative contract agreement announced last week.

The workers had been on strike since May 5 over wages, benefits, and job security

Machinists in East Hartford and Middletown, Tuesday morning, however, said "yes" to the new contract deal reached on Friday, May 23, according to the union Tuesday afternoon.

On May 22, negotiators for Pratt and Locals 700 and 1746 of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) resumed contract discussions amid worries that workers would lose medical benefits during the strike.

According to Local 700 out of Middletown, the vote was 74.1 percent in favor of the contract and 25.9 percent against.

Pratt & Whitney then announced Friday it had reached a tentative agreement on a new contract.

Tuesday's contract vote was at the Toyota Oakdale Theater in Wallingford on Tuesday morning.

Details of the tentative pact have not been released.

Since the strike, Pratt has kept its facilities in Middletown and East Hartford open and operating, albeit without 3,000 machinists.

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., endorsed the deal and credited the union members for standing up for what they felt they deserved.

“All Americans should be grateful that Pratt machinists — among our most skilled, dedicated defense workers— are returning to their jobs. Their products are vital to our national security, and they deserve fair pay, good pensions, and job security," Blumenthal said in a statement.

"I was proud to stand with them on picket lines in East Hartford and Middletown, and I admire their perseverance and courage, as well as their extraordinary skill and loyalty,” said Blumenthal.

Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, a Democrat, praised the pact.

“Pratt & Whitney machinists are the backbone of Connecticut’s economy and the literal engine of our nation’s defense and aerospace industry. Workers in Middletown and East Hartford knew their worth, and they fought courageously for the job security, wages, and benefits they are due," Tong said in a statement Tuesday.

"I am grateful that the workers and Pratt & Whitney leadership were able to reach a fair and honest agreement that keeps good jobs here in Connecticut."

From May 24: 'Tentative Deal Reached at Pratt & Whitney'