T-Mobile endorses Referendum 74 in Washington State
August 20, 2012
T-Mobile is the latest major business to officially endorse the freedom to marry in Washington State and call for the passage of Referendum 74, the ballot measure that will appear on the statewide ballot this November to defend the state's marriage law passed in the Legislature earlier this year. The company, which employs more than 4,800 workers in Washington State, announced its support on Monday afternoon while also donating $25,000 to Washington United for Marriage.
Jim Alling, interim chief executive officer and chief operating officer of T-Mobile said that supporting Referendum 74 is in line with the company's long-standing committment to diversity and inclusion:
“T-Mobile has a long-standing focus on creating an inclusive workplace environment for our employees. Our support of this issue is a reflection of our culture, how we do business, and our belief in the fair and equitable treatment of all employees.”
Zach Silk, Campaign Manager for Washington United for Marriage, welcomed T-Mobile's endorsement of the campaign:
“We are very excited that T-Mobile has decided to take this important step in endorsing our effort to approve Referendum 74. As one of the top employers in the Puget Sound area, T-Mobile’s support demonstrates a commitment to employees, customers, and communities in Washington state.”
T-Mobile is the most recent of numerous major corporations to officially endorse and contribute to Washington United for Marriage. Most notably, Amazon's CEO Jeff Bezos pledged $2.5 million to the campaign to approve Referendum 74. Other big businesses backing marriage for same-sex couples in Washington include REI, Microsoft, Starbucks, Nike, Google, and Boeing.
But it's not just big business taking action to defend Washington's marriage law. Nearly 100 businesses across the state have joined Washington United for Marriage, ranging from locally owned bakeries, restaurants, law firms, and the Seattle Metro Chamber of Commerce. Washington United has an amibitious plan to continue outreach to more businesses across the state in order to demonstrate that not only is the freedom to marry good for Washington's families, but it's good for Washington's businesses as well.
Click here to see the full list of businesses that have endorsed Referendum 74 and then click here to learn more about the campaign in Washington and how you can help pass Referendum 74.