UNITE HERE, a labor union in the United States and Canada with roughly 300,000 active members, was involved with the Terranea accusations and trial from the beginning and helped launch the boycott in October 2018. Maria Hernandez, a communications specialist at the organization, spoke toabout the impact of having a political powerhouse like Elizabeth Warren pledge her support for #CancelTerranea.
Sandra Pezqueda, a resort dishwasher, was the first to come forward in 2016, claiming she was sexually harassed and assaulted by her boss, an agency supervisor. But rather than take action on the complaint, Terranea Resort higher-ups subsequently fired Pezqueda for reporting the harassment. Pezqueda has also fought for legislation to protect third-party contracted employees from retaliation from their employers. Additionally, the bill would make companies like Terranea that use labor contractors equally liable for harassment and assault charges.
Warren’s support “proves to women like Sandra Pezqueda that their bravery is worth it,” Hernandez told, “that when you speak out, that when you come forward, there is an entire community behind you that supports you; that you’re not alone.”honored as a “silence breaker” in Time Magazine’s 2017 person of the year issue