The IAM is welcoming the unanimous support of Connecticut’s Congressional delegation in the fight to prevent Pratt & Whitney from closing a pair of aircraft factories in Connecticut and eliminating more than 1,000 high-skilled jobs.
In a joint letter to President Obama, the delegation took the unusual step of urging the president to become directly involved and “use every measure at your disposal” to block the decision by Pratt & Whitney to shutter the two factories and move many of the defense-related jobs to overseas locations. To read the full letter, click http://www.goiam.org/publications/pdfs/12_07_2009_Pratt_POTUS_12_09.pdf.
“This is a jobs issue, a national defense issue and a matter of common sense,” said IAM Vice President Rich Michalski. “Too much of our manufacturing capability has already been sacrificed in the name of short-term corporate profits. If our economy is to recover, we must take extraordinary steps to preserve the fundamental drivers of economic growth and there is no better example than Connecticut’s home-grown defense industry.”
The letter to Obama, signed by Senators Christopher Dodd and Joe Lieberman as well as Representatives Rosa DeLauro, John Larson, Joe Courtney, Christopher Murphy and Jim Himes, cited previous unsuccessful efforts to prevent the closure. “Since Pratt & Whitney first announced these closures in July, the workers at the affected plants have offered $80 million in concessions,” said the delegation’s letter. “Additionally, the Connecticut Congressional delegation worked closely with the State of Connecticut to come up with an additional $100 million to keep the plants open. Unfortunately, Pratt & Whitney’s parent corporation, United Technologies, has rejected these generous offers.”
The appeal to the president is the latest move in a state-wide campaign that has included widespread support from area labor unions, community groups and state officials, including Connecticut’s Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who recently filed a friend of the court brief in support of an IAM lawsuit aimed at blocking the move.
For additional information about the dispute at Pratt & Whitney, visit http://www.goiam.org/publications/pdfs/12_07_2009_PR_Delegation_POTUS.pdf.
Wed. December 09, 2009
It saddens me to read that Pratt and Whiney will put a higher profit margin over quality and safe products with the 1,000 or more jobs they are about to eliminate. We have one of the best Unions in the state of Connecticut who has fought hard to keep the two areas, due to close, open and working. The Union has offered all kinds of concessions and yet Pratt and Whitney is determined to crawl out of the state without a backward glance at all the skilled dependable employees that have made millions for them. Whose going to oversee the quality of the work and and make sure that the company properly trains people in a safe environment. Will you and I trust the engines that come out in the planes we travel in? What personally saddens me as well is to see the people that are compromised of dedicated Union members not necessarily have the IAM in their future. Our Union is being chipped away. Where will Pratt and Whitney look next to eliminate jobs?Wed. December 09, 2009
Ever since United Technologies took control of United Aircraft, the whole company has taken a drastic down turn. I have personally witnessed many fine and talented scientists and engineers leave their jobs in disgust due to the attitude of the board of directors. This company was set up to provide our country with the finest in space, aviation and warfare technology not to please the Fat Cats and share holders Now they want to give that responsibility to those who have been or could at sometime become our enemies. Is that a smart idea? We have the largest unemployment in decades and every state is looking at hug budget deficits because we are not working. The workers of other countries do not pay US taxes. All they do is line the pockets of our corporate Fat Cats with cheep labor. The way things are going we will someday all be living in tents like the share croppers of the 1930’s President Obama, what are you doing, that hasn\'t been done before just to please the FAT CATS?Tue. December 08, 2009
President Obama We voted FOR you. WE needed a President that would stand up for the working men and women in the USA. We EXPECT you to stand up for the employees at Pratt Whitney and bring the full power of your office to make PW stay IN the USA. THe taxpayers have given PW billions in contracts over the years, now it\'s their turn to stand up for USA. Thank you John and MaryAnne Stack Sr. Lodi, Ca.Tue. December 08, 2009
Hope Lieberman puts out more efforf to keep Pratt Whitney in Conn. than he does for healthcare reform. This guy is a snake. Ask the people who lost their jobs at Remington Arms??????????