Following the closure of Brunswick cafe Little Dog in June due to a two-week employee strike, the shop’s former space at 87 Maine Street remains empty as a union of former employees seeks retribution through the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).
According to Jessica Czarnecki, a lead organizer for the Little Dog workers’ union, the union has opened multiple complaints with the NLRB in which it accuses former Little Dog owner Larry Flaherty of coercion and bad faith bargaining, among other allegations.
The union claims that Flaherty began trying to sell the business within weeks of its finalized vote to unionize, suggesting that he never intended to faithfully bargain with employees. Flaherty did not return the Orient’s requests for comment.
“[Flaherty was] never bargaining in good faith with us if [he] put Little Dog up for sale the same month that we were federally recognized as a legal union,” Czarnecki said.
According to NLRB attorney Rachel Sandalow-Ash, an NLRB regional director found reason to believe that two Little Dog employees were unlawfully fired for engaging in union activity. Flaherty allegedly fired the individuals shortly after being notified of his employees’ intent to unionize.
Czarnecki said that union members alleging they were unlawfully terminated by Flaherty are seeking back pay.
“I have to hope that there will be justice in some form that we will all be very happy about,” Czarnecki said.
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