Photo by Alex Garland.
In the spring of 2016, hotel workers and members of UNITE HERE Local 8 in Seattle embarked on a campaign to tackle the pervasive problem of sexual harassment and assault and other health and safety issues experienced by hotel employees, in particular women working as hotel housekeepers.
While UNITE HERE locals across the country had raised the issue of sexual assault protections in contract negotiations with hotel employers – notably in the wake of the accusations of attempted rape against Dominique Strauss-Kahn in 2011 – the campaign in Seattle was the first effort by a local to pass broader legislation creating protections for union and non-union workers alike.
