The union stepped in when Blue Ridge Paper Products announced plans to send an employee, Carl Garrett, to India for treatment, The New York Times (NYSE:NYT) reported Wednesday.

The union said it did not approve of the "shocking new approach" to saving healthcare costs and insisted Garrett be treated in the United States.

"No U.S. citizen should be exposed to the risks involved in traveling internationally for healthcare services," union President Leo Gerard wrote in a letter to the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives healthcare committees. He said he was concerned about the willingness of companies to offer incentives for employees willing to seek treatment overseas.

IndUShealth, a North Carolina company that arranges Indian healthcare for U.S. citizens, said its deal with Blue Ridge is "on hold" but deals with other employers were being explored.