In a widening controversy, another former Peoples Gas employee has stepped forward to allege racial discrimination within the utility company. Darryl Price, 61, joins a collective of nearly a dozen past and present Black employees in lodging complaints and legal action against the Chicago-based utility firm, as detailed in a Chicago Sun-Times report.
Price claims to have endured harsher disciplinary measures compared to counterparts of different races, resulting in occupational stress that caused him to eventually resign in January. He alleges that after filing a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission earlier in the year, his situation at work only worsened. According to the lawsuit, the alleged ill-treatment included being denied transfers, missing out on overtime, and an increasingly hostile work environment—all believed to be based on racial discrimination.
Peoples Gas, however, has refuted these allegations, with a company statement quoted in a WGN-TV article denouncing the claims: "We adamantly deny the allegations made by these individuals, including the extreme and false claims of racial bias, and will vigorously defend the suit." The statement further emphasized the company's commitment to providing a secure workplace with equal opportunities for all.
The lawsuit touches on several grievances, including accusations that Black workers were sexualized by non-Black employees, exposed to racial slurs, and were made to work in high-crime areas without adequate security measures. On the issue of safety, Peoples Gas reiterated their position: "The safety of our team members and the public is always our top priority." The company stresses on having security measures in place, working alongside law enforcement to ensure employee safety in the face of criminal activities beyond their control.
Price's personal account, as shared with the Sun-Times, includes instances of unexplained disciplinary actions and isolation from job advancement opportunities. He expressed concern not just for himself, but for the future of younger Black workers stating, "These young kids that I saw over there [who] are the first generation of gas men... something should be done about that."
Sidestepping the corporate crossfire are the lives of utility workers, like Darryl Price, who shared the personal toll taken by the alleged discrimination. His wife, Cynthia Price, noticed his declining health and growing stress, exacerbated by a hostile work environment. This situation, she says, has done to leave deep imprints on their personal life, including the couple's relationship. As the legal battles unfold, the testimony and experiences of Price and others stand as a somber reflection of the challenges some employees claim persist beneath the surface of an everyday job.
