Councilmember M. Lorena González (Position 9, Citywide) issued the following statement following voters’ approval of Initiative 124, which will improve working conditions for hotel workers in Seattle:
“Whether to protect vulnerable hotel employees has always been a no-brainer choice for me, and apparently it was a no-brainer for Seattle voters too. I am so proud to represent a community who holds a zero-tolerance policy against unsustainable working conditions, sexual harassment, sexual assault and workplace retaliation.
“As a former hotel employee and lawyer for victims of workplace harassment, I’ve witnessed, first-hand, women shattered, deflated, and without hope. When they had the courage to stand up to sexual assault or sexual harassment, they were fired, threatened, or subjected to even worse treatment. Initiative 124 is the solution those women have been waiting for.
“Tonight’s vote is that much more important because it sends a strong message of solidarity to a workforce largely composed of low-income, women of color performing underappreciated labor. Tonight Seattleites are together in saying: We see you, we acknowledge your hard work and we stand with you.”