Blue Cross Blue Shield, UAW come to verbal agreement that could end strike
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan says it has come to a verbal agreement with United Auto Workers Union leaders that, when formalized, would end the strike that began in September.
The agreement came together over the past week through “several phone calls” between BCBS of Michigan President and CEO Daniel J. Loepp and UAW International President Shawn Fain. The verbal agreement will be formalized by the two bargaining teams on Wednesday and ratified by UAW members.
Blue Cross Blue Shield strike may cause customer service delays
The strike began on Sept. 13 when customer service and other employee groups with BCBS of Michigan in Grand Rapids and across the state walked off the job. Among striking workers’ grievances was the wage scale gap and outsourcing jobs to other states and countries.
Loepp said the new collective bargaining agreement would bring “significant income and job security for our unionized workforce.”
It would also include UAW-represented employees at BCBS of Michigan’s Health Maintenance Organization subsidiary, Blue Care Network of Michigan, BCBS said.
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