OPINION: Tenants’ strikes represent an attempt by less powerful, lower-earner renters to fight back against greedy investment companies. They are both righteous and necessary
But what does “stand in solidarity” actually mean here?
I’m a renter in downtown. I’d like to support a renters union but I’m not sure which renters union I’d join. There’s a few and they all want a hefty monthly membership fee and don’t provide a lot of detial on where that money goes.
my immediate thought is monthly membership fees for tenant unions are just lining someone’s pocket, and preying on hopeful and vulnerable people. Please correct me if this is off base for these organizations…
I suppose standing in solidarity might include physically showing up to their events and volunteering time and resources.
That’s not how tenant unions work. I’m not in Toronto, but collecting a list of these unions and having a look at them might be useful.
Often times there are ones for particularly vulnerable groups, like new immigrants or single mothers. Rather than tenants have to figure stuff out on their own.
I did a quick search and found the Federation of Metro Tenants’ Associations. Becoming a member is more about supporting and donating over time, much like you would any organization you believe in whether as an individual or a business.
The services of these organizations are free for tenants, like the Toronto Renters Forum that the FMTA runs https://www.torontotenants.org/toronto_renters_forum
Standing in solidarity might mean sharing their stuff, supporting their point of view, or any number of other supportive, joint action.
