More than 1,000 Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM) workers walked out to strike Wednesday after entering contract negotiations with the insurance provider in July.
“Our primary goal was to abolish the multi-tiered pay structure, a system that currently requires a staggering TWENTY-TWO years for an employee at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan to reach pay parity. Such a system is untenable for our union brothers and sisters, who strive to provide their families with a comfortable standard of living,” the UAW said in a press release Wednesday.
Securing job stability and equitable pay, the UAW says is the main objective for the walkout.
“We, UAW Local Union 1781 (Region 1), UAW Local Union 2500 (Region 1), UAW Local Union 2145 (Region 1D) and UAW Local Union 2256 (Region 1D), urge you to lend your support to our brothers and sisters in their pursuit of a fair and equitable agreement that guarantees job security,” UAW members said.
“We stand firm on our demand for fairness, equality, and respect. Together, we can bring about positive change.”
In response to the strike, BCBSM issued the following statement:
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.
