By Logan Williams
Hundreds of Pratt & Whitney workers, members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) labor union, joined together to rally in front of the gates of the Pratt & Whitney complex in Middletown, one week ago, Friday, Jan. 3.
The workers were joined by allies from the AFL-CIO, other labor unions and various political notables. Cars parked on the side of the road stretched for well over a mile. Pratt & Whitney employs over 8,000 workers in its Middletown and East Hartford facilities, including residents of Bristol.
The rally was in response to the aircraft maker’s furloughs, which put machinists out of work for the first week of the year, denying them earned income.
Headline speaker at the rally was Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, who delivered a speech describing her own family’s blue-collar, middle-class origins. Bysiewicz’s father, uncle and aunt each worked at the Middletown Pratt & Whitney plant.
Her appearance was particularly interesting because Bysiewicz is rumored to be strongly considering a run for governor should Gov. Ned Lamont not choose to run again. She is widely considered the strongest and most qualified candidate for the position, as well as the most likely Democrat nominee.
More than the furloughs, one subject seemed to loom over the event: upcoming contract negotiations between IAM and Pratt & Whitney, with a three-year contract reached between the two set to expire in May.
Pratt & Whitney’s decision to impose furloughs sets the tone for contract negotiations, negotiations which were already expected to be contentious.
The impressive rally appeared to drive one point home: “Your workers have all the power!” Workers proudly carried various signs making this point, boasting phrases such as “Locked Out by Corporate Greed” and “You Won’t Need a Furlough in July, We’ll Give It to You in May.”
The latter message was a thinly veiled warning to Pratt & Whitney executives that IAM is more than ready to go on strike if the company refused to meet workers’ demands for higher pay and job security. The crowd roared with approval when speakers repeatedly asked these workers if they were ready for a fight.
At the same time, amid the bustling activity and camaraderie, the tension was palpable. The chanting voices told of the pain, consternation and anger that can only be attributed to the universal working-class experience of struggling to survive—much less, thrive—while bearing the weight of an economy that encourages employers to prioritize profits over treating employees with the respect and dignity that they deserve.
One can only imagine this raw emotion will surface at the negotiation table.
And as contract negotiations approach, it is also more than likely that all stakeholders’ minds are on the results of other recent negotiations at different manufacturing plants.
In February 2024, machinists at Pratt & Whitney’s West Palm Beach, Fla., facility ratified a contract that was widely hailed as a significant victory for labor. This contract delivered a 10.5 percent pay increase over three years, an approximate 20 percent increase in pension benefits, as well as improvements to health care coverage, bereavement benefits, and severance, while strengthening recall rights.
For context, “recall” refers to the right for workers to return to their job or a similar role after being laid off, which often includes requiring companies to have a preferential rehire policy, which mandates the rehiring of laid-off employees as jobs open up, before considering the hiring of a new applicant from the general public.
In September 2024, nearly 33,000 machinists at Boeing’s manufacturing plants on the West Coast went on strike, stopping production for a total of 53 days. After particularly acrimonious negotiations that played out like a drama in the news media, the striking workers voted to accept a contract that provided a 38 percent pay hike over four years, as well as increased 401K contributions from Boeing.
The gains made by striking Boeing workers are a testament to the singular strength of organized labor and the power of workers’ solidarity to extract concessions and substantial quality-of-life improvements from corporate employers. IAM hailed this contract as “set[ting] new standards for the aerospace industry.”
With momentum on the side of organized labor, the workers who rallied on Friday after having been locked out of their workplace will be in a position to demand significant pay hikes and increased retirement benefits from Pratt & Whitney in May.
With an enormous turnout and a clear, fierce message, the rally on Friday serves as a powerful reminder that Pratt & Whitney workers are united and ready to fight for better pay, job security and respect in the upcoming battle for their livelihoods.
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