More than 1,000 Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan employees will return to work after a nearly three-month-long strike.
BCBS Michigan employees represented by United Auto Workers ratified a new contract that runs through May 1, 2027, according to a Dec. 6 news release from BCBS Michigan. Employees will return to work as soon as Dec. 7, according to the release.
Over 1,000 union-represented BCBS Michigan employees, including those in customer service, billing, claims and other divisions, began striking Sept. 13. Employees of Blue Care Network, Blue Cross Blue Shield's HMO, were covered by a different agreement with the company and did not strike.
The final agreement covers 1,360 Blue Cross and Blue Care Network employees.
On Nov. 28, BCBS Michigan said it had reached a tentative deal with the workers.
According to a Nov. 28 news release from UAW, the deal included significant general wage increases, a $6,500 ratification bonus for BCBS employees and $5,000 ratification bonus for Blue Care Network workers. The deal also shortens the wage progression scale for employees to reach top pay from 22 years to five.
The new agreement was ratified by 89% of the union's members, according to a post from UAW on X, formerly known as Twitter.