May 2—Unionized Machinists at Pratt & Whitney approved a three-year contract Sunday that the union said strengthens job security language while improving pay and benefits.

Approximately 3,000 members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers District 26, Local 700 in Middletown and Local 1746 in East Hartford voted on the contract, which takes effect on today, the union said in a statement.

IAM members at both Connecticut facilities manufacture, repair, and produce parts for commercial and military engines, including the KC-46 air refueling tanker, F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, and the A320 commercial airliner. Pratt is a division of Raytheon Technologies Corp.

"Our membership was adamant that job security was their top priority," IAM Aerospace General Vice President Mark Blondin said in a statement. "The negotiation team from both locals worked together to secure job security language and other improvements for their members."

IAM District 26 Assistant Directing Business Representative and chief negotiator Jeff Santini said the union "made solid gains in nearly every aspect of our agreement and maintained previous important language."

According to the union, the new contract includes:

—Improved job security language, including new work.

—Strong yearly general wage increases and pension multiplier.

—Improvements in personal time off and vacations.

—Solid improvements in health care with a minimum average savings of $2,400 inclusive of premium and out-of-pocket expenses per employee.

—Severance pay and re-education improvements, and more.

The union did not provide details. The company could not immediately be reached for comment.

The contract comes as manufacturers statewide have reported problems filling jobs. Nearly nine in 10 manufacturers reported difficulties finding and retaining workers, and 41% describe the labor shortage as the state's main obstacle to growth in the 2021 Connecticut Manufacturing Report from the Connecticut Business & Industry Association.

Pratt's business plummeted in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic as travel shut down. Two years later, that's turning around as air travel picks up.

Raytheon Technologies Chairman and CEO Greg Hayes cited the "strong commercial aerospace recovery" in announcing first-quarter earnings in April.

Pratt's first-quarter adjusted sales of $4.529 billion were up 12% over the prior year and the operating profit of $308 million was a 670% increase over the first quarter of 2021, Raytheon said.

The IAM District 26 negotiating committee unanimously recommended the proposal. Contract negotiations have been ongoing since the end of March.

The contract follows a 5 1/2 -year contract approved in 2016 that gave the union's members annual raises of 2.5% as well as $6,500 in bonuses. For the first time since 1960, the pact expires in May rather than December.

That contract eliminated traditional pensions for workers hired after a certain deadline, replacing them with alternative programs such as 401(k)s.

That deal also required higher-deductible, higher-contribution health insurance payments, with gradual transition to health savings accounts for new hires.

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