From the Courant: The national fight over health benefits and job security is playing out here in Connecticut in the contract battles of two large unions: machinists at Hamilton Sundstrand and telephone workers at SBC Communications. Members of the two bargaining units, which together represent about 6,500 workers in the state, could be walking picket lines within days if a resolution to their respective contract disputes is not found... 'In every contract - I don't care what union you're talking about - the escalating cost of health care is a huge issue,' said James Parent, chief negotiator for the roughly 1,000 union machinists at the Hamilton Sundstrand division of United Technologies Corp. in Windsor Locks.