Striking workers approve latest contract offer from at RTX's Pratt & Whitney
By Dan Catchpole
(Reuters) - Striking workers at RTX's Pratt & Whitney approved the company's second contract offer on Tuesday by 74%, according to the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.
The strike at two of the engine-maker's plants in Connecticut began May 5 after members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers overwhelmingly rejected the first contract offer.
Union representatives have previously said the roughly 3,000 striking workers' top priority is getting Pratt to commit to keep work for Lockheed Martin's F-35 fighters in the state.
The strike is the first in more than 20 years at the enginemaker's Connecticut sites, where it produces engines for the F-35 and about 70% of the company's geared turbofan engine, which is used in European planemaker Airbus' strong-selling A320 neo family.
The vote results "reaffirms our commitment to the people, programs and communities that have powered our legacy — and will shape our next century of aviation innovation,' a Pratt & Whitney spokesperson said.
During the strike, Pratt reassigned some engineers to production lines as part of its contingency plan, which was first reported by Reuters.
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