Last week 1,400 employees at United Technology’s Sikorsky division were facing unpaid furloughs due to the federal government shutdown. But over the weekend, the Defense Department announced civilian defense employees can come back to work.
It happened when U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel invoked a recently passed law that authorizes the Defense Department to bring back most civilian employees despite the ongoing federal government shutdown. The "Pay Our Military Act" was signed by President Obama last week, clearing the way for some 350,000 civilian defense workers nationwide to return to their jobs.
According to the Connecticut Post, Sikorsky announced late Saturday that employees should return to work Sunday night. An automated message at Sikorsky headquarters, updated at 9:30 p.m. Saturday, informed employees that Sunday's third shift was scheduled to go on as it had before the shutdown.
Sikorsky initially planned as many as 2,200 furloughs in Connecticut and Florida, but by late last week the number dropped to 1,400 in Connecticut only, according to numerous reports. Sikorsky manufacturers Black Hawk helicopters at its Stratford plant.
