BCBS sales personnel from 9 BCBS Plans graduated from the Advanced Labor Studies Program at Rutgers University last month.

Together with Rutgers University, the NLO overhauled the program’s curriculum to reflect the current culture of labor affairs in the U.S. and across the globe, provide a deep understanding of collective bargaining in today’s workforce, and offer BCBS sales teams tools and tactics to better serve the BCBS System’s more than 17 million labor members.

Carla A. Katz, Esq., J.D., School of Management and Labor Relations and Susan J. Schurman, Ph.D. School of Management and Labor Relations, Rutgers University, led the program’s curriculum. 

“The relaunch of our Advanced Labor Studies Program was a phenomenal success,” said Bonnie Summers, Executive Director of the NLO. “The program would not have been possible without the commitment of Rutgers faculty, professors and renowned labor experts who donated their time and resources to educate program participants.”

During the week-long course, participants studied such topics as collective bargaining, transformation of employer-based healthcare, interest-based bargaining and public and private sectors reforms.  The program culminated with a collective bargaining simulation designed to apply participants’ knowledge and skills at a real-life bargaining table.

The simulation allowed me to walk in the shoes of both union and management.

-Chris Letoto, an attendee from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Hawaii

Rutgers faculty and subject matter experts from a variety of organizations including Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) and Teamsters taught sessions during the program. 

“Blue Cross Blue Shield is a proud partner to organized labor and has served working Americans since our inception. This program will enable our attendees to continue to provide unsurpassed service to labor customers for years to come,” said Summers.