Appeals court set to hear Pratt jobs case

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - A federal appeals court is expected to hear Pratt & Whitney's appeal of a judge's ruling that blocked the jet engine maker from moving 1,000 jobs out of the state.

Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal says he will be among the attorneys making arguments Wednesday before the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York City.

U.S. District Judge Janet Hall in Bridgeport issued a permanent injunction in February stopping Pratt & Whitney's plans to shut two engine repair facilities in Cheshire and East Hartford next December. Hall said the moves would violate the Machinists' union contract.

Pratt & Whitney, a subsidiary of Hartford-based United Technologies Corp., is appealing Hall's ruling. It wants to move the jobs to Columbus, Ga., Japan and Singapore.