Jet-engine maker Pratt & Whitney, which has manufacturing facilities in East Hartford and Middletown, says it is making a 'small reduction' in its workforce.

The notice comes just weeks after several hundred Pratt & Whitney machinists, on furlough for the day, rallied outside the aviation manufacturer’s Middletown plant to protest what they called a punitive lockout at a time when the backlog of engine orders is nearly $100 billion.

Jet engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney announced on Wednesday, Jan. 29, that the company would shed jobs as part of a restructuring and to save costs. The company did not say how many people would lose their jobs,