Pratt and Whitney workers producing F-35 rejected a contract offer amid broader financial pressures and operational vulnerabilities for Lockheed Martin.
Its supporters have described the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II as the most effective multirole combat aircraft ever built. More than 1,100 have been delivered to customers. In March, it even logged its millionth flight hour.
Moreover, the fifth-generation stealth fighter has an unblemished combat record, with none lost in combat. However, it is still a machine, meaning it isn’t invincible.
There have been several crashes, with the most recent early this year, while the “all-weather” aircraft, almost ironically, wasn’t cleared to fly if lightning was present. In 2021, two F-35Bs based out of Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, suffered severe damage after being struck by lightning while in flight.
Then last year, some of the F-35s stored outside of Lockheed Martin’s facility were also damaged in a summer hailstorm!
This week, the F-35 also met a foe like no other… the trade union whose workers produce the Lightning II’s F135 engine.
Trade Unions Send F-35 Engine Makers on Strike
Approximately 3,000 workers at Pratt and Whitney went on strike early Monday, after the company’s union members rejected a proposed deal. International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Locals 700 and 1746 at the engine maker’s plants in East Hartford and Middletown, Connecticut, walked off the job, citing “inadequate wage increases, weakening of their retirement benefits, rising health insurance costs, and a lack of job security commitments.”
The current contract expired late Sunday.
Though it is the first strike since 2001, there are growing concerns that it could take weeks for a deal to be finalized and for the workers to return to their jobs.
“Pratt and Whitney is a powerhouse in military and commercial aerospace products because our membership makes it so,” David Sullivan, the union’s eastern territory vice president, said in a statement.
“This offer does not address the membership concerns, and the membership made their decision—we will continue to fight for a fair contract.”
The company has proposed an immediate four percent wage increase, followed by an additional 3.5 percent increase next year and three percent in 2027. In addition, the contract proposal offers a $5,000 contract ratification bonus with additional pension and 401 (k) plan benefits.
“We recognize the skill, commitment, and pride you bring to your work at Pratt and Whitney,” Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer Jill Vichi wrote in the offer letter to striking employees.
“You make the engines that power not just aircraft, but the trust, reputation, and legacy we have built over the past century in Connecticut. That pride is hard-earned, which drove us to offer you a new contract that reflects your value to our company and industry.”
This Is Unfortunate Timing for Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Production
It is unclear if the two sides can find a middle ground. The strike began as Pratt and Whitney parent RTX is facing upwards of an $850 million hit on its fiscal year 2025 (FY25) profits due to the tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump on imported goods.
“During its first-quarter earnings call on April 22, the company said its Pratt and Whitney and Collins Aerospace subsidiaries would each shoulder just over $400 million of the potential tariffs hit,” The Associated Press reported.
“RTX is predicting $83 billion to $84 billion in adjusted sales companywide in 2025. The company’s first-quarter earnings were $1.5 billion. Pratt and Whitney’s adjusted operating profit in the quarter was $590 million.”
The company has said it has a “contingency” plan to maintain operations and meet its commitments.
More About the F135 Engine at the Center of the Union Strike
Although the Pratt and Whitney F135 engine was developed from its F119 engine that powered the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor, it faced competition from the General Electric/Rolls-Royce F136 during the Lightning II’s development.
The F135 was ultimately selected. It enables the aircraft to reach speeds of Mach 1.6 and altitudes of 50,000 feet (15,000 meters).
There are also two main variants of the F135 engine: the F135-PW-100 version that is used on the F-35A, the conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) model of the Joint Strike Fighter, with the F135-PW-400 sub-variant incorporating salt-corrosion resistant materials for use with the carrier-based F-35C; and the two-cycle short take-off vertical landing (STOVL) F135-PW-600 version that is used in the F-35B. The latter model utilizes a forward lift fan. All of the respective variants can produce around 40,000 lbf of thrust.
The two former models include a two-spool, axial flow, augmented turbofan and feature a 3-stage fan with a 6-stage high-pressure compressor; At the same time, the latter version is also a two-spool, axial augmented turbofan but with a shaft-driven remote lift fan, a 3-stage, 6-stage high-pressure compressor, and a 2-stage, contra-rotating, shaft-driven lift fan.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a thirty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
Image Credit: Shutterstock/ Mike Mareen.
