It wasn't exactly a quiet Sunday in Wallingford. On May 4, 2025, the Oakdale Theater—usually a spot for concerts—turned into a pressure cooker. About 3,000 workers, the hands and brains behind some of the world's most sophisticated jet engines, gathered to make a choice that would rattle the aerospace industry.
They voted to walk.
The result? A massive 77% of the union members said "no" to the company’s final offer. By midnight, Pratt & Whitney strike machinists from IAM Locals 700 and 1746 were out on the pavement in East Hartford and Middletown. It was the first time they’d done this since 2001. Honestly, if you’ve lived in Connecticut long enough, you know Pratt is more than just a company; it’s an institution. But that May morning, the "Dependable Engines" sign felt a lot less like a promise and more like a battlefield.
Why the Picket Lines Went Up
You've probably heard the corporate line: the company offered a "generous" package. 4% raises. A $5,000 bonus. Sounds decent on paper, right? But the machinists didn't see it that way.
Talk to anyone who was actually there, like Walter Polchlopek, and you'd hear a different story. It wasn't just about the hourly rate. It was about the fear of seeing their livelihoods packed into a shipping container and sent to Georgia or Florida. Job security was the ghost haunting the bargaining table.
The Real Sticking Points
The union argued that while Pratt (and its parent company, RTX) was raking in billions—$580 million in profit just in the first quarter of 2025—the workers were being squeezed.
- Retirement Erosion: The company wanted to move away from traditional pensions toward a 401(k) model by 2028. For guys who have been there 20 years, that feels like a rug pull.
- Healthcare Costs: Higher premiums were on the table. When inflation is already eating your paycheck, a 4% raise barely covers the extra cost of your kid’s doctor visits.
- Job Security: This was the big one. The union wanted a concrete guarantee that work on the F135 (the F-35 fighter engine) and the Geared Turbofan (GTF) would stay in Connecticut. Pratt was being... let's call it "vague."
Rain came down that first Monday. Workers stood at the Silver Lane entrance in East Hartford holding signs that read "Together We Rise." It wasn't just old-timers, either. You had young machinists like Nick Wright standing next to Senator Richard Blumenthal, who showed up with a megaphone to tell the crowd the corporation could afford to do better.
The Three-Week Standoff
Things got ugly fast. About two weeks in, the company cut off health insurance for the striking workers. That’s a classic hardball move. It’s meant to break the line by making people worry about how they’ll pay for their prescriptions or their family's medical emergencies.
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Pratt & Whitney even started bringing in salaried engineers to try and run the machines. Think about that for a second. You’ve got people who usually sit behind CAD software trying to operate heavy industrial equipment. On Reddit, some of these employees were basically admitting they had no idea what they were doing on the shop floor.
The stakes were massive. We’re talking about the F135 engine. This is the heart of the F-35 Lightning II, the backbone of U.S. air power. If those engines don't ship, Lockheed Martin's production lines in Texas start to sweat. RTX CEO Chris Calio eventually had to admit to investors that the stoppage was making a "dent" in their shipping plans.
The Turning Point
By late May, the silence at the negotiating table finally broke. Maybe it was the political pressure, or maybe it was the realization that "tribal knowledge"—that specific, unwritten skill set these machinists have—can't be replaced by a temp or an office worker.
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On May 27, 2025, the workers headed back to the Oakdale Theater. This time, they had a new deal in front of them.
The Deal That Ended the Strike
The final contract wasn't a total surrender by either side, but the union definitely moved the needle. 74% of the members voted to accept it.
Here is what changed:
Instead of that initial 4% bump, they secured a 6% wage increase in the first year. The following years were set at 3.5% and 3%. But the real win was the "Connecticut Commitment." The company actually signed off on a guarantee to keep manufacturing and maintenance work at the East Hartford and Middletown plants through 2029.
They also bumped the pension multiplier. It went from $94 to $113. For a veteran machinist, that's a significant difference in their monthly retirement check. Plus, they won a $5,000 ratification bonus to help cover the three weeks they spent without a paycheck.
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What This Means for You
If you’re a worker in the aerospace sector, or even just someone who follows the economy, this strike was a signal. It showed that even in a high-tech, globalized world, the people who actually turn the wrenches still have leverage.
Pratt & Whitney is a powerhouse, but it’s a powerhouse built on specialized labor. When 3,000 of those people walk out, the gears stop turning. It’s that simple.
Actionable Takeaways from the Strike
- Solidarity works: The 77% strike authorization vote was a loud message. A weak vote usually leads to a weak contract.
- Watch the "Job Security" language: Pay increases are great, but they don't matter if the plant closes in two years. Always look for geographical commitments in labor contracts.
- Prepare for the "Benefits Cut": If you’re ever in a position to strike, have a plan for healthcare. The IAM veterans in this case had to scramble to the West Haven VA to help fellow vets get emergency coverage when the company cut them off.
- Leverage matters: The strike happened while Pratt had a $100 billion backlog. Timing is everything.
The machinists returned to work on Wednesday, May 28, 2025. The picket signs are gone, and the engines are shipping again. But the relationship between the front office and the shop floor? That’s going to take a lot longer to repair.
Next Steps for Tracking This:
To stay ahead of how this affects the broader aerospace industry, you should monitor the upcoming contract negotiations at Electric Boat in Groton. The Pratt & Whitney settlement often sets the "Connecticut Standard" for industrial labor. Keep an eye on the quarterly earnings reports from RTX for the second half of 2026 to see if the production delays have been fully recovered.