07/20/2026
Economic Downturn OR Union Busting?
Imagine giving years of your life to a local spot you love. You keep it afloat every single day. Then one morning you wake up to a Signal message from the owners. They’re closing it for good in nine days.
That’s the reality for the crew at Baby’s On Fire, a beloved q***r friendly cafe and record store in Mount Vernon.
Three years ago, the owners moved to Portugal and left the whole operation in the hands of their employees. These baristas, bakers, and chefs showed up every day. They poured the coffee. They baked the pastries. They kept the doors open. But they were locked out of the most basic decisions, like updating the menu or promoting a daily special on social media. All because the owners, an ocean away, just couldn’t be bothered to communicate effectively.
So the workers organized and tried to form a union. Not for a fight over pay or benefits. They wanted a voice. They wanted a little dignity in the place they kept alive. They sent the owners a request for voluntary recognition on June 22. A week went by with no answer, so they filed for an election with the National Labor Relations Board. Weeks later, they finally heard back. It came as a sudden shutdown notice. Nine days left.
Now that’s the workers’ story. According to the owners, David and Shirlé Koslowski, this was never about the union. They say Baby’s has taken significant losses in revenue over the last several years because of the economic downturn, and after 10 years they were left with no choice but to close. They thanked the community and thanked their staff for years of hard work. They have not publicly answered the union-busting accusation at all. So you have the timing on one side and a revenue explanation on the other.
You be the judge.
Today was the final day at Baby’s On Fire. Like they always have, the workers showed up, poured the coffee, and baked the pastries for their community. And the owners, like they always have, were nowhere to be found.
My grandfather told me something once. If a boss doesn’t want you to start a union, you’ve probably got a boss who gave you a reason to start one. Asking for a voice at work should never cost you your job. It should be a wake-up call to any owner that something’s broken in the gears of their business.
If you’d like to support the workers, here’s the GoFundMe page:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-staff-of-babys-on-fire-in-mt-vernon-baltimore
