Workers striking at UTC subsidiary

CHESHIRE — Unionized workers at United Technologies Aerospace Systems have gone on strike at the company’s factory on Knotter Drive.

Workers represented by Local 62A of the International Association of Machinists began picketing the plant Monday following a strike vote taken over the weekend. The Cheshire plant makes sensors used in aircraft.

The union represents about 200 workers. Their contract with the company expired at midnight Sept. 15, according to a company spokeswoman.

“Following several weeks of negotiations, the company presented a fair and equitable contract that is competitive within the region and the industry including wage and retirement plan increases, and improvement in other working conditions,” Jessica Napoli, a company spokeswoman, said in a statement. “UTC Aerospace Systems will remain open and operate as normal throughout the work stoppage. We have robust contingency plans in place and do not expect the strike to affect our customers or suppliers, and are continuing to assess next steps.”

Union officials were not immediately available for comment Tuesday.

The strikers got a show of support Monday from Jahana Hayes, who is the Democrat running to replace U.S Rep. Elizabeth Esty, D-5, who is not seeking re-election.

“Every worker deserves fair pay and benefits,” Hayes said in a statement on Tuesday. “I was proud to listen to the members of Local 62A yesterday and hear their concerns. I would urge both sides to get back to the table and work this out.”

This is the third time in the last 18 years that labor unions have gone on strike against a United Technologies subsidiary.

IAM workers at UTC’s Pratt & Whitney subsidiary went on strike for more than a week in 2001. And the Teamsters Union led a nearly six-week strike at helicopter maker Sikorsky Aircraft in 2006.

Sikorsky became part of Lockheed Martin in 2015.

The Aerospace System subsidiary was created in 2012 when UTC merged its Hamilton Sunstrand business unit with the North Carolina-based Goodrich Corp.

And UTC is about to complete another acquisition that could impact Aerospace System workers here in Connecticut. The company announced in September 2017 that it was acquiring Rockwell Collins, also based in North Carolina.

That deal is scheduled to close by the end of the month, according to the Winston-Salem Journal.