MARQUETTE, Mich. (WZMQ) – As the strike continues against the big three automakers, another UAW-Affiliated strike is happening here in Marquette. Around 15 workers from Blue Cross Blue Shield were picketing on Wednesday, September 20th on M-553 against the company, and strikers claim the company is outsourcing their jobs.
This strike began two days prior to the UAW statewide strike, and workers commented that the goal is to get rid of the multi-tiered pay structure and to have Blue Cross Blue Shield stop outsourcing job classifications.
“We have lost a lot of coworkers who when they leave we don’t get them replaced so we know the jobs are being outsourced…and we’re worried about our jobs being phased out because as we leave we’re not being replaced,” commented UAW Local 2145 Member Bobbi Bray.
The local 2145 continued by saying the worker’s personal time off is also contracted unfairly, Bray mentioned that some employees have sick days as well as PTO, however, other employees are only given PTO days, with no sick days.
