Jet engine maker Pratt & Whitney reaches tentative agreement with striking machinists

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EAST HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Jet engine maker Pratt & Whitney announced Friday that it reached a tentative agreement with the union representing about 3,000 machinists in Connecticut who’ve been on strike since May 4 demanding improved job security and better wages, retirement benefits and health care coverage.

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Members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers are scheduled to vote May 27 on the revised contract offer. The company said the tentative agreement, reached after the two sides resumed talks on Thursday, addresses “key points of interest among union members.” It did not provide details.

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In a post on Facebook, the union said it was bringing “an improved” tentative agreement to the unionized workers for a vote.

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“It’s in our membership’s hands to decide if Pratt and Whitney’s offer meets their needs so they can get back to work building the most capable engines in the world!” the post said.

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Union members began picketing at Pratt’s manufacturing locations in East Hartford and Middletown after about 77% of nearly 2,100 union members voted to approve their first strike since 2001.

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“Pratt and Whitney is a powerhouse in military and commercial aerospace products because our membership makes it so,” David Sullivan, the union’s eastern territory vice president, said in a statement at the time. “This offer does not address the membership concerns, and the membership made their decision — we will continue to fight for a fair contract.”

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The company, a subsidiary of Arlington, Virginia-based RTX Corp., had called its earlier wage and retirement proposal competitive, and said its workforce is among the most highly compensated in the region and industry.

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The strike has come as RTX faces a potential $850 million hit on profits this year because of tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump, if the tariff rates remain the same through the year. During its first-quarter earnings call on April 22, the company said its Pratt & Whitney and Collins Aerospace subsidiaries would each shoulder just over $400 million of the potential tariffs hit.

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RTX is predicting $83 billion to $84 billion in adjusted sales companywide in 2025. The company’s first-quarter earnings were $1.5 billion. Pratt & Whitney’s adjusted operating profit in the quarter was $590 million.

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

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Pratt & Whitney makes engines for commercial and military jets, including the GTF line for Airbus commercial jets and the F135 for the military’s F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft fleet.

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Democratic U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, who joined the workers on the picket line, called the tentative agreement “a solid step forward for Pratt’s highly skilled machinists, and I hope for a fair settlement soon.”

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