HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - Workers at jet engine maker Pratt & Whitney in Connecticut fear they may be running out of time to prevent job losses.
The Machinists union beat the subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. in federal court earlier this year, preventing it from shutting two engine repair shops and eliminating 1,0000 Connecticut jobs. But the victory is good only as long as the union's three-year contract with Pratt & Whitney is in force.
It expires Sunday, and Pratt & Whitney said on its website it has tentatively decided to shut the plants, subject to negotiations. It will not discuss contract talks, but cites competition and declining business.
The Machinists union accuses the company of threatening job security and plans a rally at Pratt & Whitney headquarters in East Hartford Tuesday to organize support.