On furlough for the day, several hundred Pratt & Whitney machinists rallied Friday 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.

Later today, machinists with Pratt and Whitney plan to rally over a plan they say forces them to take unpaid furlough days this year. Members with machinists Local 700 and 1746 are opposing management