Pratt & Whitney workers with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers union voted Tuesday to approve a new agreement on a revised contract offer, ending the strike that has had workers out in sun and cold rain for three weeks outside the manufacturing giant.

The union representing about 3,000 workers at Pratt & Whitney plants in the Hartford and Middletown, Connecticut, area had been on strike since May 5, a day after overwhelmingly rejecting Pratt’s final contract offer and setting up the historic bargaining showdown not seen at the company in decades.

The vote was 1,608 to 562 in favor of the pact, or 74 percent voting yes. Union officials said that means workers will return to the job on Thursday. The new contract will be effective May 28, 2025 to May 6, 2029.

A Pratt & Whitney spokesperson said Tuesday, “Today, Connecticut IAM employees voted to ratify a revised new contract offer, officially ending the strike in East Hartford and Middletown.

“This is the outcome everyone was working towards — a contract that recognizes the skill and dedication of our workforce by keeping them among the highest compensated in their field, while ensuring Pratt & Whitney is well positioned to secure jobs and opportunity for years to come,” the spokesperson said. “As Pratt & Whitney marks its 100th anniversary, this outcome reaffirms our commitment to the people, programs and communities that have powered our legacy — and will shape our next century of aviation innovation.”

Michael Lamoureux, the head of the strike committee for Local 700, said half of the Pratt & Whitney workers stormed out in the first five minutes, similar to what occurred at the May 4 vote at the Oakdale, Connecticut.

Preliminary observations showed that the vote was going to be “close” and that the numbers of workers may have been slightly lower than the May 4 vote, but that turned out not to be the case. The counting began about an hour after the 10 a.m. vote.

Lamoureux later said the Negotiating Committee recommended accepting the contract and he felt there were enough improvements to lift the strike.

“I think they moved enough in the correct areas that we were looking for including job security, wage security and retirement security,” Lamoureux said.

“I think we did well for the three, three and a half weeks that we were out. I think it was a learning experience and there are always ways to improve. But we held strong and we got adjustments made to the areas we were most concerned about in the contract. Overall, sticking together got us to a better place than where we were,” Lamoureux said.

The new contract includes a general wage increase, with hikes in each year of the pact. It also includes new pension plan benefits, job security provisions, parental leave, and vacation benefits, among other things, according to a document obtained by the Courant.

In terms of job security, the pact says, in part, “the company will continue to perform special technology coating operations in its East Hartford (L building) facility and diffusion bonding in its East Hartford (Hollow Fan Blade) facility and inertia bonding and linear friction welding in operations in Middletown during the duration of this agreement.

“The company will continue to maintain two lines at its Middletown facility for the final assembly and testing of Geared Turbofan engines. The company commits to perform testing of PW800 engines at its Middletown facility for the duration of this agreement.”

Vernon resident Ernest Rudder, who works in Manchester, said he voted to end the strike. He said the environment felt calmer than last when everyone has gone on strike.

“The feeling was a good portion of the Middletown workers are very collective, because they only have one picket to do. East Hartford has five or six so we are disbanded a lot more than Middletown is. I have a strong feeling that a good portion of Middletown wants to keep the strike going. The East Hartford side is pretty quiet. But it only takes 67 percent,” Rudder said, while walking out of the theater.

Rudder said everyone is feeling the pain of the last couple of weeks and he felt Tuesday there was a much greater chance the strike would end.

“I’ve had good family support and I’ve had decent savings to prepare for something like this. I’ve been OK. I have a baby on the way and I have to do what’s best for my unborn baby,” Rudder said.

The picket line has had more than one location in East Hartford, as well as in Middletown. Workers over the weekend said they were “holding strong” and would have continued the strike if the union did not approve it Tuesday.

A Pratt statement Friday on the negotiation said, “the company and the union reached a tentative agreement on a revised contract offer that addressed key points of interest among union members.”

Union members have said the biggest issues separating them were the employment security, marked by worries about jobs migrating to areas of the country where it is cheaper to do business; pension and retirement benefits; and concerns about wages keeping up with inflation.

Some picketing workers have said the erosion in health benefits, marked by higher premiums and deductibles, essentially erased the pay increases offered by the company. According to Pratt, the initial proposed pay increase was a general wage increase of 4% immediately, 3.5% in 2026 and 3% in 2027.

Cromwell, Connecticut, resident and Middletown worker Bob Pellows said this is the third strike that has been through in his 44 years at Pratt & Whitney and he is retiring later this year.

“This is the longest one,” Pellows said, prior to the vote. “I think they were more mellow for this one than ‘85. The ‘01 one wasn’t too bad.”

Pellows, who noted he always votes to strike, said the main reason for the strike, for his younger co-workers, was job security. “All of the money in the world is not worth anything if you don’t have a job.”

East Hampton, Connecticut, resident Ehsan Hussaini, 60, is a 35-year worker in Middletown. He said he wasn’t sure how he was going to vote minutes before casting his ballot.

“I think the company needs to reshuffle the numbers. They are not committed to giving a fair contract to the workers,” Hussaini said. “They are not really committed to giving a fair contract to the workers. They are just moving the numbers and basically doing the same thing. I don’t expect a better outcome after today.”

Hussaini said the uncertainty of the strike has been difficult, with no job and no insurance. Sticking points for him were job security, health care and pensions.

“I would like to see everybody back to work and start their lives back up,” Hussaini said.

Manchester, Connecticut, resident T.J. Gamble, who has worked in East Hartford since 2017, said minutes before the vote that everyone was looking for a good contract and everyone wanted to get back to work.

“I understand everyone’s reasons for not accepting the last contract. I’m very curious to see what our negotiating committee has to present to us when we get in there. I hope everyone finds it satisfactory so we can get back to work,” Gamble said.

“This isn’t just affecting the Pratt & Whitney employees, it’s affecting the community in general. All of the smaller businesses are feeling this and we are seeing a lot of really positive support. I just want to get back to work but it’s got to be under the right circumstances,” he added.

Gamble said he hopes to be back at work later this week.

“It’s not ideal,” he said of the strike. “I kind of planned for it because I knew it was a contract year. I just wanted to make sure I had some extra resources if this did happen. I just kept myself busy. I did a lot of yard work and spent some extra time hiking with my dogs and here we are.”

Lamoureux, the head of the strike committee for Local 700, said prior to the vote that there was a much different vibe on Tuesday after striking earlier this month.

“The big one for us was job security. They didn’t talk about job security at all in the last proposal they gave us. In this one, from what we are being told, we have a big multipage document talking about keeping work in Middletown and East Hartford and their plans to expand. We also got an extra year in the pension along with an increase to the people in the 401K plan. So they will get money as a contribution every week. The last one was a general wage increase which was moved from a 4 to a 6. ”

Lamoureux said the weather has been the toughest part of the last few weeks on strike.

“It’s not cooperating with us all of the time,” Lamoureux said. “I’ve had more than a few people pull out some hair dryers to try to dry shoes out. Other than that, I felt we kept the morale down there pretty good. It felt like someone’s backyard cookout for a couple of weeks, but you are with all of the in-laws, so sometimes the party has got to end.”

The strike has brought sharp words from both sides in the past three weeks.

For example, as the union readied to return to the bargaining table with the jet-engine maker, a top state official condemned the company’s suspension of health insurance for the workers.

Attorney General William Tong said last week that he condemns the “action in the strongest possible terms. This is a huge conglomerate punishing and intimidating workers for exercising their legal rights.”

A spokesman for Pratt said, in response to Tong’s comments, “Connecticut IAM-employees rejected the company’s final contract offer and voted to strike. Striking employees aren’t eligible for pay or benefits.

“However, Pratt & Whitney extended benefits coverage for two weeks to allow for employees to make alternate arrangements,” Pratt’s statement said.

Wayne McCarthy, president of IAM Union Local 700, last week said the union “leadership strongly agrees” with the Tong’s statement.

Tong said Tuesday, “Pratt & Whitney machinists are a backbone of Connecticut’s economy and the literal engine of our nation’s defense and aerospace industry. Workers in Middletown and East Hartford knew their worth, and they fought courageously for the job security, wages and benefits they are due. I am grateful that the workers and Pratt & Whitney leadership were able to reach a fair and honest agreement that keeps good jobs here in Connecticut.”

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal said, in an email, “All Americans should be grateful that Pratt machinists— among our most skilled, dedicated defense workers— are returning to their jobs. Their products are vital to our national security, and they deserve fair pay, good pensions, and job security. I was proud to stand with them on picket lines in East Hartford and Middletown, and I admire their perseverance and courage, as well as their extraordinary skill and loyalty.”

U.S. Rep. John B. Larson, a Democrat representing Connecticut's 1st District, said Tuesday, “Connecticut’s skilled machinists have a long history of making the most advanced and reliable engines in the world at Pratt & Whitney, right here in East Hartford and Middletown.

“I am glad to see an agreement for better wages and benefits that honors their work, as well as a firm commitment from RTX to grow its workforce in Connecticut. I applaud the 3,000 machinists who courageously stood up for the dignity of work during this strike and congratulate IAM leadership and RTX on successful negotiations for a new contract agreement.”

U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, a Democrat representing Connecticut's 3rd District, said Tuesday in an email, “I am glad IAM Locals 1746 and 700 and Pratt & Whitney reached a resolution. When workers fight together, their unions can achieve outcomes that reflect their true value. These highly skilled workers fuel our state economy and contribute to our national defense, and this new agreement means all parties can move forward with renewed stability. I will always stand with workers fighting for fairer wages and strong benefits.”

Senate President Pro Tem Martin M. Looney, D-New Haven, and Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, said in a joint statement Tuesday, “We applaud the 3,100 members of International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local 700 for their courage and resilience in striking to successfully secure more wage, job, and retirement security in their new four-year contract with Pratt & Whitney.”

Sen. Stephen Harding said, also in an email, “Pratt & Whitney and its workers are part of the backbone of Connecticut’s economy. This strike showed how unaffordable Connecticut is for both job creators and their employees.”

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