Former LG Energy Solutions worker urges Holland council to reconsider tax breaks, alleges workplace mistreatment

Jamie Adams, a Coopersville resident and former employee of LG Energy Solutions Michigan, used the public comment period Wednesday to urge Holland City Council to examine the company's stewardship and the local benefits of its tax breaks.

Adams described her employment from June 2021 until May (year not specified) and said she resigned after what she characterized as ongoing harassment, denial of training and failure to honor intermittent FMLA and ADA accommodations. She told council she had filed complaints with the Michigan Department of Civil Rights and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and received a "right to sue" letter, but said she could not find legal representation to pursue a case. "They treat people so badly ... it's a rotten place to work," Adams said.

Adams also alleged she observed workplace safety and environmental concerns, stating she saw cleaning products being poured down a drain that led to a retention pond and noted the company had been fined $15,000. She urged council to reconsider providing tax breaks (she referenced the company's "renaissance zone" status) given what she described as poor treatment of employees and environmental lapses.

Council did not take any formal action in response; the comment was received into the public record. City staff noted that regulatory enforcement (e.g., MIOSHA, state agencies) rests with state authorities. Adams said she had been unable to secure an attorney and was using the public comment opportunity as a final recourse.