Pratt & Whitney Plants Reprieved By Court

An appeals court has ruled that Pratt & Whitney cannot close two repair plants in Cheshire and East Hartford. The jet engine maker had wanted to move the work out of Connecticut with the loss of a thousand jobs. WNPR’s Harriet Jones reports.

This ruling by the second circuit court of appeals upholds a lower court decision in March that Pratt & Whitney was in breach of its contract with workers when it made plans to close the two facilities. Language in the contract with machinists says the company will make “every reasonable effort” to preserve work in Connecticut. The injunction against the closures will now stand until December 5th of this year, which is the date on which the contract expires. Jim Parent, of the International Association of Machinists says he’ll work hard to preserve the job security clause in the new contract when talks begin in October.

“It’s not going to be some easy negotiations. Our goal will be to negotiate a new three year contract that includes the Letter 22 job protection language that protects the jobs of not only Cheshire, but Cheshire, Middletown and East Hartford. All three plants in Connecticut are protected under the same collective bargaining agreement.”

In a statement Pratt & Whitney says it’s disappointed by the ruling, and believes the court misinterpreted the contract. Spokeswoman Emily De Santis:

“No decision have been made on what actions we will take when the current contract expires. As we approach that time, we will examine market conditions, customer decisions and the performance of our facilities.”

Members of Connecticut’s congressional delegation have urged the company to end its efforts to close the facilities and instead focus on keeping jobs in the state.

For WNPR, I'm Harriet Jones.