(EAST HARTFORD—WTIC News) There’s a tentative deal that could end a three-week-long strike by machinists at one of Connecticut’s largest employers, Pratt & Whitney.
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) announced the agreement to its members Friday afternoon, saying it was reached at about 1 am. A ratification vote is set for next week.
“On Tuesday, our members will decide if we achieved our objectives around job security, wage security, and retirement security,” read the IAM announcement. “This new proposal has significant changes/improvements in all three of these core areas.”
More than 3,000 workers have been without a contract since early this month.
On a chilly, wet Friday afternoon, job security was a key concern for IAM members on the picket line outside corporate headquarters. Laser driller Paul from Portland was concerned that local jobs like his might be shipped out of town, saying, “We want these jobs to stay here in Connecticut and stay at these plants, we don’t want them to go down south, or to Germany, or any of these places.”
Sen. Richard Blumenthal paid a late morning visit to the rally site and grabbed a bullhorn to tell workers, “You are fighting for what’s basic to America, which is fairness to our working men and women and our families. Those kinds of values are what make us the greatest nation in the history of the world.”
Pratt & Whitney announced the vote will be held Tuesday at the Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford, preceded by a 10 am meeting. Doors open at 8:30 am.
In a statement posted online, the company said, “The company presented the union with a revised contract offer that addressed key points of interest among union members.”
The union says the picketing in East Hartford and Middletown will continue, pending the vote.