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. Bill Sowerby (D-Clinton Township) issued the following statement:
“Today’s demonstration showed that workers’ rights must be respected, and there is no place for discrimination in the work place. I am proud to stand with workers from across Michigan committed to supporting workers and opposing racism like what the United Six had to endure.”