EVERETT, Wash. — The Everett City Council is set to vote on an ordinance aimed at cracking down on sex trafficking and illegal activity at local massage businesses.
The proposed measure seeks to regulate operations within these establishments.
The potential move by Everett would follow actions taken by other cities, including Bothell and Federal Way, which have implemented similar regulations in recent weeks as more arrests have occurred.
Everett City Council President Don Schwab described the city’s approach as proactive. The proposal specifically looks to address hours of operation and ensure certifications are current and visibly displayed.
Schwab, president of the Everett City Council, stated that the ordinance also focuses on accountability for property owners. “We’re also looking at holding the building owners and other parties that are involved in the building that the services are being provided,“ Schwab said.
However, groups like the Massage Parlor Organizing Project, or MPOP, view this ordinance as part of a pattern. JM Wong, a representative for MPOP, criticized the approach.
”If we really do care about trafficking, let’s give workers rights,“ Wong said. Wong also expressed concerns about the ordinance’s underlying assumptions.
”We think that this has a racist tradition,“ Wong said, adding, “Regardless of what work Asian women do, yet immediately assume to be trafficked for sex when that might not be what’s happening.“
Jingheng Chen, a member of MPOP, highlighted the potential negative impact on workers. Chen explained that such measures force workers into precarious situations.
“They’re forced into a position where they have no access to safe and dignified work and then criminalized for that for the lack of access that was targeting them in the first place,” Chen said.
Responding to concerns that the ordinance could make jobs harder for workers, Schwab emphasized the council’s commitment to local businesses. “Well in this city, our businesses are very important to us,” Schwab said.
Schwab also indicated the city’s willingness to assist business owners with regulatory processes. “We wanna be proactive and help any small business owner with the documentation and the needs and the process to get that business licensing and certificates completed,” Schwab said.
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