SEATTLE – Dog daycare staff at Downtown Dog Lounge proceed their struggle for what they’re calling a good union contract.
The staff who’re organizing with UFCQ 3000 need the proprietor and their worker, Elise Vincentini, to cease dragging her ft and provides in to their calls for.
“I’ve been in business 23 years,” Vincentini informed FOX 13. “It’s like a small handful of staff need to dictate each side of my business.”
The group mentioned if the business proprietor doesn’t comply with a contract that meets their calls for throughout their upcoming bargaining classes, greater than 60 staff may doubtlessly go on strike, leaving tons of of dogs with out day or in a single day care.
“We need to make Downtown Dog Lounge a contented place for shoppers, for dogs. We need to present how a lot we care concerning the fur infants that come into the doorways every single day, and the higher staffing now we have the higher situations, the buildings are within the higher time the dogs are going to have,” mentioned worker and union negotiating participant Judy Coy.
“I’m a bit confused by all this,” Vincentini mentioned. “I’m greater than prepared to offer them a pay elevate. Anyone that is aware of me or is aware of the Downtown Dog Lounge is aware of my dedication and dedication to this business and to the workers is large.”
Downtown Dog Lounge staff are combating for 4 calls for which embrace:
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Higher wages
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A secure dog-to-worker ratio
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Standardized emergency protocols
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Regular office upkeep
“We already pay excessive wages,” Vincentini mentioned.
Downtown Dog Lounge staff make between the city-mandated minimal wage of $19.97 and $25 an hour.
As for the dog-to-worker ratio, there isn’t a set normal set by state regulation.
Vincentini mentioned Downtown Dog Lounge sticks to a ratio of 1 employee to twenty to 25 in the course of the day, with a couple of quarter of these dogs in crates at a time. She mentioned the employees’ numbers fail to think about the watch of groomers, bathers, and different positions. At evening, she normally staffs two individuals as soon as they attain 70 dogs, which she mentioned is best than different locations.
“I really feel all this has come about due to just a few disgruntled staff who need extra,” mentioned Vincentini. “As I’ve mentioned previously, I’m prepared to work with them however that is taking away from our actual mission that are the dogs we look after.”
