CITY OF SEATTLE
RESOLUTION __________________
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A RESOLUTION supporting City of Seattle Initiative Measure 124 and urging Seattle voters to vote "Yes" on Initiative 124 on the November 8, 2016 general election ballot.
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WHEREAS, hotel employers and hotel employees are vital contributors to the Seattle community, fueling an industry that contributes over $6 billion to the local economy; and
WHEREAS, the Seattle hospitality industry also receives significant public support through public investments like the $1.6 billion dollar expansion of the Washington State Convention Center; and
WHEREAS, the hospitality industry is a crucial source of accessible employment for women, immigrants, and people of color in Seattle, as more than 80% of hotel housekeepers are women and a majority of hotel housekeepers are immigrants; and
WHEREAS, providing housekeeping services can be difficult, labor-intensive work that can potentially lead to physical ailments or in some cases even injuries for housekeepers; and
WHEREAS, housekeepers face cultural, language, and other barriers to reporting harassment and assault committed by guests; and
WHEREAS, hotel workers cleaning rooms and providing other services are often alone and potentially in a vulnerable position; and
WHEREAS, hospitality workers have the lowest rate of access to employer offered health insurance in the state of Washington; and
WHEREAS, Initiative 124 would prevent sexual harassment and assault in hotels by requiring guest notification of employee protections, providing workers with panic buttons, standardizing hotels' responses to accusations against guests, and banning known harassers from hotels; and
WHEREAS, Initiative 124 would reduce workplace injury and pain for hotel housekeepers by reducing housekeeping workloads for employees of large hotels; and
WHEREAS, Initiative 124 would improve access to affordable family medical coverage to workers at large hotels who earn at or below 400% of the federal poverty...
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