MARQUETTE, Mich. (WJMN) – Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan workers are on strike as contract negotiations continue with their union.
United Auto Workers represents the Blue Cross workers who were striking in Marquette on Thursday. They provide services by phone. Along with fair wages, a UAW servicing representative tells us a point of concern is the outsourcing of jobs to other countries.
“They already have lost jobs and that’s why it’s such a stickler and that’s why it’s happening throughout Blue Cross. That’s one of the biggest problems. This is a national contract that they are doing. We always look to not strike. We don’t want to strike. We want to get a contract and keep everything flowing. The sooner it can be settled, the better it is for everybody,” said Betsy Bennett, Servicing Rep. for the United Auto Workers.
Below is a statement from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.
On September 12, after weeks of continuous negotiations over a new collective bargaining agreement, the United Auto Workers union walked away from the bargaining table and went on strike at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. Blue Care Network is not included in this action by the union. Blue Cross has put contingencies in place to enable our company to continue to provide services to providers, group customers and our millions of members around the nation. Some of those services – particularly those provided over the phone – will require longer wait times. We encourage our members and customers to use our online and app-based services during this period, and we regret the inconvenience caused by this situation – which we desire to resolve quickly, consistent with the spirit of collective bargaining, with our partners at the UAW.
