3,000 Union Members Strike Against Jet Engine Manufacturer Pratt & Whitney

The company’s contract offer had ‘nothing to improve job security,’ said a statement from the International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers.

Andy Opgaard, a Pratt & Whitney employee, crosses the street to join fellow strikers on the picket line at the Silver Lane entrance on the first day of their strike, in East Hartford, Conn., on May 5, 2025. Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant via AP

Roughly 3,000 workers from aviation engine maker Pratt & Whitney are on strike at the company’s facilities in Connecticut after negotiations over new work contracts fell through.

The union members, who are affiliated with the International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers (IAM) labor union, “overwhelmingly rejected” the company’s contract proposal, IAM said in a May 4 statement.

“Our committee worked tirelessly to advance our members’ voices to the company, and the company simply failed to bring to the table an agreement that we felt comfortable recommending to our membership,” said IAM District 26 Directing Business Representative Jeff Santini.

The union’s negotiation committee accused Pratt & Whitney of failing to adequately address the top concerns raised by union members regarding wage and retirement security. The company “offered nothing to improve job security,” the labor group said.

IAM said it is looking forward to returning to negotiations with the company.

The strike, which began on Monday, is at plants in East Hartford and Middletown, according to a May 6 post on social media platform X by the Connecticut American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO).

“Stand with IAM members on strike at Pratt,” AFL-CIO said in the post.

East Hartford is the location of Pratt & Whitney Engineering & Technology Center, while Middletown is the site of the company’s Middletown Engine Center.

Pratt & Whitney, a subsidiary of Virginia-based RTX Corp., called its latest wage and retirement proposal competitive and said its workforce is among the most highly compensated in the region and industry.

“Our message to union leaders throughout this thoughtful process has been simple: higher pay, better retirement savings, more days off, and more flexibility,” the company said in a statement.

“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.”

The company said its latest contract proposal included an immediate 4 percent wage increase, followed by a 3.5 percent increase in 2026 and a 3 percent increase in 2027. It also included a $5,000 contract ratification bonus and enhanced pension and 401k plan benefits.

Meanwhile, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont and Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, both Democrats, released a joint statement on May 4 calling on both parties to resolve their dispute.

“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,” they said.

“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 Epoch Times has reached out to Pratt & Whitney for comment.

Company Finances

The strike comes as Pratt & Whitney’s parent company, RTX, the world’s largest aerospace and defense company, announced its first-quarter earnings on April 22.

Pratt & Whitney saw its first quarter sales jump 14 percent from the first quarter of 2024. Operating profit rose by 41 percent to $580 million during this period.

The increase was attributed to factors such as a rise in sales to the military as well as commercial sector demand for large commercial engines.

RTX saw its sales increase by 5 percent in the first quarter. However, net income dropped by 10 percent.

In a presentation during the earnings call, RTX projected it could take an $850 million hit on its operating profit this year from the tariffs instituted by the Trump administration.

Of that, $250 million is estimated to be the impact of the 25 percent tariff on Canada and Mexico. The tariffs on China and reciprocal tariffs from Beijing are estimated to cost another $250 million.

The global reciprocal tariffs at 10 percent are forecast to translate into a $300 million hit on the company’s operating profit. The remaining $50 million impact is expected to come from the 25 percent tariffs instituted on steel and aluminum imports.

The calculation is based on the assumption that these tariffs remain in place for the rest of the year.

Pratt & Whitney engines are in use across 34 military forces worldwide. The company has more than 7,000 military engines in service.

In February, Pratt & Whitney secured a $1.5 billion, three-year military contract to sustain its engines in the U.S. Air Force’s F-22 fighter jets.

The Associated Press contributed to the report.