Hundreds continue to march on DTE Energy

Company has forgotten 99 percent, failed to help thousands facing shutoffs

DETROIT – DTE Energy officials promised to hold a phone call with representatives of Good Jobs Now on Thursday, March 22, 2012 at 1 p.m., after more than 300 protesters marched for 90 minutes at the company’s downtown office today. The protest was to show that the company has forgotten the 99 percent by failing to help thousands who are struggling with their energy bills.

Shouting “DTE! SHAME ON YOU!” and “NO LIGHTS, NO PEACE!” protestors called the company to task for failing to make good on its pledge to help the thousands of people facing utility shutoffs. The names were submitted to the utility in January, and DTE officials backed out of a meeting with ministers to discuss it.

“I’m out here to stop all the nonsense,” said 24-year-old Nathan Agnew of Detroit, who was prepared to be arrested Wednesday. “With all this alleged help out here, I’m not seeing anything.”

Wednesday’s protest was the fourth against DTE in three months pointing up how DTE posted nine-digit profits while ignoring those struggling to pay their bills. In 2010, the company had a $640 million profit and a $172 million tax refund (a negative 27 percent tax rate).

Keena Harris, a mother of four, was hospitalized after DTE shut off her electricity last month. Harris uses an oxygen tank to breathe and her children use nebulizers to treat chronic asthma. Initially, she was told that because of her medical condition, her electricity would not be shut off and a payment plan would be set in place. However, that didn’t happen.

DTE restored Harris’ power last week and worked out a payment plan.

“Without Good Jobs Now I probably would have never made it to the top people at DTE...I would still be out here freezing with my family,” said Harris.

But DTE still hasn’t gone far enough, noted Pastor Homer Jamerson of the Jamerson Temple Baptist Church in Detroit.

“It makes you wonder how many other ‘Keenas’ are out there not receiving the help they need," Jamerson said.

Good Jobs Now is a broad coalition of community groups, faith leaders, concerned citizens and the labor sector that is committed to solving the issues facing our neighborhoods and holding decision makers and elected officials accountable for creating jobs.