September 8, 2003

Sims and Sullivan Call on County Contractors to Provide Equal Benefits for Employees

Furthering King County’s commitment to encourage non-discrimination in the workplace and a better quality of life for the people of the region, County Executive Ron Sims and County Council Chair Cynthia Sullivan today recommended requiring contractors who do work with the County to provide benefits to domestic partners of their employees that are equivalent with benefits provided to spouses of their employees.

The Equal Benefits Ordinance will require that contractors with King County comply with a policy of non-discrimination in the provision of employee benefits, a policy that King County already follows with its own employees. To comply with the law, a contractor that offers a benefits package that includes spousal coverage must also offer equivalent domestic partner coverage.

“This puts some teeth into our existing anti-discrimination laws,” said Sullivan. “I helped write the County’s first laws banning discrimination against gays and lesbians in housing and employment, and then-Councilmember Sims and I wrote the County’s original domestic partners legislation. This simply builds on that work. We would not pay a higher salary to a married person than to someone who’s single. Discrimination in the provision of job benefits has the same result of unequal pay for equal work It’s a matter of both equity and civil rights.” Sullivan introduced the ordinance at this afternoon’s County Council meeting.

King County law prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and marital status. Contractors with the county are already required to affirm that they do not discriminate based on sexual orientation or marital status. The proposed ordinance applies to all contracts $25,000 or more for goods and services. It exempts contracts with other governments, real estate contracts and collective bargaining agreements. Contractors shall certify that they comply with the provisions of the ordinance, as they presently do with other contract compliance requirements.

Bill Dubay of Citizens for Enforceable Discrimination Laws (CEDL) said, "CEDL appreciates the outstanding leadership shown by King County Executive Ron Sims in initiating this proposal and sending it to the Council. The dedication and hard work of King County Council Chair Cynthia Sullivan, combined with her sponsorship of this ordinance, proves that she is serious about enforcing the county's tradition of equal pay for equal work."

King County already provides benefits to employee domestic partners as do the State of Washington, the Cities of Seattle, Burien, Olympia, Tumwater and Vancouver, the Seattle Public Library, and Snohomish County. A variety of Fortune 500 companies provide their employees with equal benefits including the Boeing Company, Costco, Washington Mutual Savings Bank, SAFECO, Microsoft, Nordstrom, and Weyerhaeser.

Employee benefits help business by providing support and stability to workers, protecting them from the disruptive influences of catastrophic illnesses or other similar problems in their domestic relationships. The contractor maintains a healthier and loyal workforce. When employees have the benefits they need for optimum performance, companies are stronger from having a more competitive work force. This ordinance does not impose any costs an employer cannot bear. The ordinance leaves every employer free to decide what benefits to offer or to offer none at all. The ordinance does not mandate any benefits, only mandates equality of benefits for spouses and employee domestic partners. The level of benefit is the business decision of the employer.

In drafting the proposed ordinance, staff reviewed similar legislation adopted by the cities of Seattle and Tumwater, Washington; and Oakland, and San Francisco California.

Read more about this legislation on the King County Council’s LEGISEARCH system by typing in “2003-0419”