August 22-Members of Connecticut’s delegation in Washington wrote Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus Monday asking the service branch to keep fix and maintenance of the presidential helicopter fleet at Sikorsky in Stratford.
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The work, which has been done in CT for 40 years, according to lawmakers, is being moved to Florida.
They also signed a letter to the Defense Department “requesting suspension of any relocation effort until a thorough review of all direct and indirect costs can be performed”, Blumenthal said.
The change affects 85 jobs at Sikorsky’s Stratford plant.
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., stands alongside members of the Teamsters Local Union 1150, which represents Sikorsky Aircraft workers, to announce the CT delegation has sent a letter to Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus to request that the Navy does not end Marine One maintenance fix contract with the Stratford-based helicopter maker. Sikorsky Aircraft is among southwestern Connecticut’s biggest employers, with almost 8,000 people working for the company. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy and U.S. Reps. Rosa DeLauro and Jim Himes wrote.
Blumenthal said he’s been in touch with top level executives at Lockheed, Sikorsky’s parent company, and he believes the two sides could still reach an agreement.
“This work is among the most important done on any of our aircraft in the U.S.” he added. “The cost effective decision is to leave this work in CT. There is no room – none – for error”.
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Negotiations concerning the Marine One contract between Lockheed Martin and the Navy recently fell through.
