Talks Begin Between Union Workers And Pratt

Crucial talks open this week between the management of Pratt & Whitney, and union officials representing about 3,000 workers at the jet engine maker. As WNPR’s Harriet Jones reports, these contract negotiations follow a hard-fought court battle this year over threatened plant closures.

These talks will attempt to establish a new three-year contract for unionized workers at Pratt & Whitney, and central to the union’s strategy will be preserving job security language in the new pact.

A judge in US District court in Bridgeport earlier this year ruled that Pratt could not shut down engine repair plants in Cheshire and East Hartford with the loss of a thousand jobs, because of a clause in the workers’ contract stipulating that every effort be made to preserve work in Connecticut.

Though forced to keep the doors open, Pratt has since reduced the headcount at the Cheshire facility through layoffs and early retirements. The company has made it clear that the planned closures are still on the table, and will be an item for discussion at the talks, which get underway on Tuesday in Cromwell.

Union leaders meanwhile say they are prepared for a strike call if it becomes necessary. Pratt & Whitney workers have not walked out over a labor dispute since 2001. The workers’ present contract expires December 6th.

For WNPR, I'm Harriet Jones.