Connecticut Attorney General's Office
Press Release
Attorney General Calls On Pratt & Whitney To Use Furloughs, Overtime Reductions To Avoid Layoffs
August 27, 2010
Attorney General Richard Blumenthal today called on Pratt & Whitney to avoid the projected layoff of 129 workers at its Cheshire plant by reducing overtime, instituting furloughs or taking other steps short of letting go workers.
Pratt & Whitney currently has many Cheshire plant employees working overtime and on weekends.
In a letter to Pratt & Whitney and its parent company, United Technologies Corp., Blumenthal said the current collective bargaining agreement covering the Cheshire work force is due to expire Dec. 5, and the federal court has prohibited Pratt & Whitney from transferring work to out-of-state facilities before that date.
In the meantime, the union and the company have an opportunity to seek a further agreement that preserves quality jobs while ensuring efficient plant operations, Blumenthal said.
“The loss of many well-paying jobs in this economic climate will badly harm our state economy and devastate families,” Blumenthal said. “I encourage Pratt & Whitney to work with the union to implement alternatives to lay-offs -- such as furloughs and reductions in overtime -- that will preserve jobs while achieving real cost savings.
“The question remains whether lay-offs are presently necessary. My understanding is that the Cheshire plant work force is currently fully-occupied, with employees working approximately 20 percent overtime above their normal hours and working 10-hour days and on weekends.
“I do not presume to second guess business judgment or projections, but I do know that families and communities will suffer seriously and egregiously if employees are laid off during the harshest employment climate in decades. I respectfully urge Pratt & Whitney in the strongest terms to work with the union to take every available measure to seek cost savings without resort to lay-offs.
“Workers and families who lose their jobs face the worst job market in decades, with limited prospects for quick reemployment. I hope Pratt will do the right thing, sparing workers and their families the devastation, anxiety and uncertainly of unemployment. My office stands ready to assist Pratt & Whitney to preserve jobs and business in Connecticut.”