Concerned members of District 26 in Connecticut took to the air this past week to rally support for the F-22, the Lockheed-built fighter aircraft powered by IAM-built engines at Pratt & Whitney in Connecticut.
At a press conference in East Hartford, CT, IAM members and leaders were joined by Connecticut Democratic Rep. John Larson and Connecticut Democratic Senator Chris Dodd, who pledged to fight for additional funding to continue the F-22 program. The F-22 was among several defense programs tagged for elimination by U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates at a press conference last week.
Between 2,000 and 3,000 Connecticut jobs depend on F-22 projects, according to United Technologies Corp., which owns Pratt & Whitney and Hamilton Sundstrand, both major F-22 suppliers. As many as to 95,000 jobs in 44 states are at risk if the F-22 program is shut down.
“A premature end to the F-22 program would be a serious blow to our industrial skill base,” declared District 26 ADBR Jim Parent, who noted the average age of IAM workers at Pratt & Whitney was 54. “If there is no opportunity to pass on our collective job knowledge, it will be permanently lost.”
Many industry experts agree that a looming wave of retirements in the aerospace industry represents a serious threat to future programs, such as the new F-35 program. For years, the unique skills involved in building such aircraft have been passed down at the workbench, the assembly line and on the drafting tables.
“We should all thank the workers who are standing up today and calling for sufficient funding and training to ensure the U.S. remains second to none when it comes to a strong national defense,” said IP Tom Buffenbarger. “Many of these workers who build the F-22 are second, third and even fourth-generation craftsmen and women with a long family history of building U.S. military aircraft. Their contributions and their dedication to excellence deserve our deepest respect.”

        
               

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