Sikorsky to Shed 540 Jobs; 419 in Connecticut [UPDATED]

Update as of 10:15 a.m. Sept. 19:

Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-3) issued the following statement in response to the layoff announcement of 419 workers in Connecticut, 384 of which are hourly workers, out of a total of 567 layoffs worldwide.

“I am extremely disappointed that Sikorsky will be laying off 419 workers in Connecticut. Keeping good, high-skilled Sikorsky manufacturing jobs in the 3rd Congressional District over the long-term is and has always been a top priority of mine. Though there had been a positive upward trend in Sikorsky employment in the state recently, the company insists these layoffs are part of a continued downturn in the market,” DeLauro said. “This is deeply concerning to me, and I will be speaking with Sikorsky leadership to discuss their long-term plans in the state and the ways in which we can work together to ensure these jobs stay in Stratford and throughout the state. For the workers impacted by these layoffs, I stand ready to offer my assistance in any way possible.”

The original report follows:

Stratford-based Sikorsky Aircraft informed its employees in Connecticut and Poland Thursday of the need to slash 3 percent of its global workforce due to "expected lower work volumes."

The announcement of the cuts, which equates to 540 employees, comes about a month after Gov. Dannel P. Malloy toured the facilities in Stratford as a stop on his jobs tour.

"If you look at our age demographics particularly involved in manufacturing, if we simply would turn out the right product, we could guarantee full employment," Malloy told reporters after his private tour on Aug. 16. "And yet we have not moved as rapidly to address the needs of high-end precision manufacturing, this certainly is one of those."

The company has not yet disclosed a breakdown of where the firings will occur or when employees will be notified. Sikorsky employs 18,142 globally, 15,767 nationally and 9,176 in the state of Connecticut.

"We are entering a new world, with moderating growth in line with U.S. and international economies and their impact on our commercial and military customers," Sikorsky spokesman Paul Jackson said in an email. "To remain competitive, we must adjust to the expected lower work volumes by trimming our global workforce by about 3 percent."

Jackson said details on the layoffs aren't being released, "in part, because eligible union members in Connecticut have been offered a voluntary separation package."

"We will not know how many involuntary reductions may be necessary until the results of that offer are known," he said.

What do you think this news means for Stratford and the state?