Pratt & Whitney will lay off 50 hourly workers at its aircraft engine plant in North Berwick, part of companywide cuts aimed at shoring up the aviation manufacturer in the face of falling orders.
The East Hartford, Conn.-based company is offering workers 55 and older a buyout package that includes a $5,000 payment and a week’s pay for each year of employment. Involuntary reductions will be necessary depending on the number of employees who accept the severance offer, according to the Portland Press Herald.
Pratt & Whitney employs 1,400 people at the North Berwick plant; the majority are hourly employees.