What kind of boss is Darcy Hanson, owner of Merchant’s Cafe and Saloon in Pioneer Square? Her actions show selfish, heartless treatment of a struggling worker, Shilo.

Check out this text message exchange. Merchant’s boss Darcy Hanson (in grey) abruptly fires worker Shilo (in purple) via text after Shilo’s absence (you can see the Missing Person texts referenced in smaller font). 

Shilo is a low-income parent and worker who missed work twice. These absences were: 1) being roofied and waking up in an alley with her clothes torn (“UNEXCUSED ABSENCE”) and separately 2) visiting a dying family member after giving verbal notice to 2 managers. Darcy claims this last absence was also unexcused. 

Meanwhile Darcy admits multiple times that Darcy herself prepared the Merchant’s taco meat despite having no qualifications nor food permit, and she doesn’t even know how to cook! (Workers without their permit cards has been a Dept of Health citation.)

Darcy expands on her victim-blaming, as only a cruel person can: 

In the end, Shilo got her last paycheck but not her $200 in tips. We are also demanding $800 in severance pay for being abruptly fired. For a parent of 3, every dollar counts.

Darcy spews all kinds of messages, stay tuned to read them all! 

And that’s the type of boss running Merchant’s Cafe and Saloon. Boycott this terrible place that doesn’t comply with health codes or decency towards employees.

On Sept 22nd, a group of 24 Seattle Solidarity Network members delivered a simple demand to Merchant’s Cafe and Saloon: pay the missing $200 in tips and $800 in severance pay to their former worker, Shilo. Shilo was subjected to a workplace rife with toxic transphobia and was ultimately fired after facing false accusations in her workplace, such as an “unexcused absence” when she was roofied and violently assaulted after work and missed her next shift. She came to SeaSol for help after this boss fired her and texted her repeatedly blaming her for the sexual assault.

Transphobic Merchant’s owner Darcy Hanson decided on Monday, Sept 30 that her entire business is worth less than this $1000 she owes to a low-income worker, and is ready to “have her failing business ruined” by our direct action campaigns. Her AirBnBs above the restaurant will certainly also be affected.

We are all looking forward to fighting such a nasty boss and revealing to all of Seattle the horrible things Darcy has said and done. Pioneer Square deserves better than an unethical owner like Darcy Hanson exploiting workers in the neighborhood. With solidarity, Shilo will get her hard earned money and some justice after this terrible experience.

BOYCOTT MERCHANT’S CAFE AND SALOON! See you soon, Darcy.