Pratt To Cut Workforce In State

By ERIC GERSHON | Courant Staff Writer In a clear sign that grave troubles in the U.S. airline industry are affecting Connecticut's aerospace manufacturers, Pratt & Whitney confirmed Wednesday that it will eliminate the jobs of an undisclosed number of hourly workers at its two biggest Connecticut plants. The East Harford-based jet engine maker also said it would eliminate some salaried jobs across the U.S. Pratt notified workers Monday, just days after executives with its corporate parent, Hartford-based United Technologies Corp., told investors that they would restructure operations in 2008, with an emphasis on Pratt. A Pratt spokeswoman would not say Wednesday how many workers the company wants to cut through buyouts, which are open only to older workers. But union officials were told that Pratt has a "surplus" of 71... [read full story]