Little Dog Workers Successfully Pressure Employer to Fix Workplace Safety Issues

Little Dog coffee shop in Brunswick has begun to fix workplace health and safety issues after union baristas filed a complaint with the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) over potentially hazardous working conditions.

On February 2, Little Dog Workers United sent OSHA a list of workplace safety complaints calling attention to the employer’s failure to routinely inspect and properly label fire extinguishers, fix potentially dangerous shelving and appliances, create an emergency action plan to train employers in the event of an emergency and fix leaks that create slip hazards, water damage and mold. The workers had previously tried to get the employer to fix the problems in the past, but nothing had been done to remedy them.

“We weren’t aware of the timeframe, how long the process would take, [but] it was a lot easier than we had previously assumed!" the workers wrote in a statement.

They were pleasantly surprised when the agency immediately responded to their complaint and notified the employer that he had until February 10 to report back to OSHA on an action plan to address the issues.

“We are happy to report that some fixes have already been made to remedy the suspected violations,” the union wrote. “We all love working at LD (Little Dog), even with the issues we face….We want to continue being a community hangout. All we have wanted this entire time has been to make sure we create a healthy & safe environment for us, the now unionized workers.”