LANSING, Mich., Feb. 17, 2022 — Today, members of the Michigan House Democratic Caucus joined a coalition of labor voices in downtown Lansing in support of the United Six — a group of electricians formerly employed by United Electric Contractors. In a lawsuit filed last month, the group alleges that UEC maintained a retaliatory and hostile work environment where racial slurs and discrimination against Black and brown workers were commonplace. They held the demonstration in front of the Associated Builders and Contractors of Michigan’s Lansing office — the trade association affiliated with UEC. In support of the United Six and the protests, state Rep. Rachel Hood (D-Grand Rapids) issued the following statement:
“We can’t afford to turn a blind eye to allegations of racial discrimination. The abuse that the United Six experienced on the job speaks to the racial progress we’ve yet to make in this country. Everyone, regardless of their skin color, deserves the right to a good-paying job where they are treated with dignity and respect. I stand with the United Six, unions and workers everywhere that fight for that cause each and every day.”