Bull City Tenants United

03/30/2022

Join our next cohort of organizers-in-training! Fill out the form by Sunday April 3rd -- bit.ly/BCTU2022Training

03/02/2022

Only organized, democratic tenant power can defend Durham from gentrification & abuse from slumlords. But power is not a given, it must be BUILT!

Bull City Tenants Union (BCTU) is looking to welcome a new cohort of volunteer organizers-in-training. Join our team & learn to organize!

How You’ll Build BCTU:
Volunteer organizers should commit to spending at least 6 hours per week on work for this project. Though this amount is somewhat flexible, organizers commit to a once-weekly 2-hour organizing team meeting in addition to at least 3 sessions of work in the field – canvassing, holding scheduled 1:1s and organizing conversations, coaching tenant leaders, facilitating meetings with tenants, and so on. Our time in the field is framed by a bit of planning and debrief, generally running from 1-3 hours start to finish. In our experience organizing for the past year and a half, this is a minimum threshold for developing ourselves as organizers and moving our work forward.

How BCTU Will Support You:
In building our skills together, organizers get support in a number of areas. First, we train all of our organizers in an introductory course covering organizing semantics, the organizing conversation, our plan to win, and more. New organizers receive 1:1 mentorship from a lead organizer and weekly support at our organizing team meetings. We commit to ongoing evaluation of our work, curiosity about how to improve and new things to try, and mutual support and accompaniment.

bit.ly/BCTU2022Training

06/04/2021

(Español abajo) A delegation of the Garden Terrace Tenants Union just delivered the rent of several neighbors, and a letter reminding the landlord that they are still waiting for a date to begin negotiations about changes to the lease. Tenants continue to experience rent hikes, new fees, and lack of repairs or surface level repairs. Meanwhile, DTI's assets in Durham and Wake county have increased in value by over $8 million, or 37%. The company has also charged neighbors for their repairs. ""What we want is to have a voice in our living conditions," they say in the letter, "including the rent and fees, when and how repairs are made, and what protections we have against losing our homes. This can only happen through a process of collective negotiations."
Una delegación del Sindicato de Inquilinos de Garden Terraza acaba de entregar la renta de varios vecinos y una carta recordando al propietario que todavía están esperando una fecha para comenzar las negociaciones sobre los cambios al contrato de arrendamiento. Los inquilinos continúan experimentando aumentos de alquiler, nuevas tarifas y falta de reparaciones o reparaciones a nivel de superficie. Mientras tanto, los activos financieros de DTI en los condados de Durham y Wake han aumentado en valor en más de $8 millones, o un 37%. La empresa también ha cobrado a los vecinos por sus reparaciones. "Lo que queremos es tener voz en nuestras condiciones de vida", dicen en la carta, "incluyendo la renta y las tarifas, cuándo y cómo se hacen los arreglos y qué protecciones tenemos contra la pérdida de nuestros hogares. Esto solo puede suceder a través de un proceso de negociaciones colectivas".

06/03/2021

June 5th, 4-7pm, in Durham, specific location TBD

We'll be knocking on tenants' doors to ask them about their housing experiences and to talk about housing policy and tenants rights in North Carolina as a way of building out the Homes For All plank of the Carolina Federation's "People's Platform". All are welcome - just fill out this form so we can follow up with you with more information!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdy1r4tBsr_9HDUNTRRIdK_Wnp6iwsCYHh0-pCRNQCCi9j8uA/viewform

Covid safety note: Everyone will be required to wear a mask, and we'll only be knocking external doors -- we won't be going inside any buildings to do this

03/02/2021

Update: Julie has been offered a new lease and a payment plan, but at a rent increase of nearly 30% more than what she was paying just 2 years ago when Jonathan Dayan's company D.T.I bought the property. These extreme rent hikes have been happening across Garden Terrace, which is why we're fighting for a controlled, fair rent under the new, collectively negotiated contract. RIGHT NOW, we need our community supporters and union members to call Wilson Property Management again (919-782-1717), ask for Deanna Sweat (or leave a message if you can't get through), and demand that Wilson accept Julie's offer of $800/month in the new lease, a $20 increase from what she's been paying.

Actualización: Julie ha recibido una oferta de un nuevo contrato de arrendamiento y un plan de pago, pero con un aumento de alquiler de casi un 30% más de lo que estaba pagando hace solo 2 años cuando la empresa D.T.I (de que Jonathan Dayan es el dueño) compró la propiedad. Estos aumentos extremos de la renta han estado ocurriendo en Garden Terrace, y es por eso que estamos luchando por una renta justa y controlada bajo el nuevo contrato, que será negociado colectivamente. AHORA MISMO, necesitamos que los apoyantes de nuestra comunidad y los miembros del sindicato llamen a Wilson Property Management nuevamente (919-782-1717), pregunten por Deanna Sweat (o dejen un mensaje si no contestan) y exijan que la compañía acepte la oferta de Julie de $800/mes en el nuevo contrato de arrendamiento, un aumento de $20 con respecto a lo que ha estado pagando.

02/28/2021

(Espanol abajo)

Good news! Sheila Crawley, a Garden Terrace tenant who was facing eviction April 1 via nonrenewal of her lease, has been granted a new, one-year lease by the landlord and property management company. This was one of two key demands at last Sunday's demonstration.

Sheila is the third tenant so far who has had their lease extended - and eviction canceled - due to organized pressure from the tenants' union and the community.

Now, it's time to keep the pressure on and get landlord Jonathan Dayan to agree to meet with the tenants' union about a collective contract. Stay tuned for updates!

[Photo by Kate Alexandrite]

***

Buena noticia! Sheila Crawley, una inquilina de Garden Terrace que se enfrentaba al desalojo el 1 de abril por la falta de renovación de su arrendamiento, ha recibido un nuevo arrendamiento de un año por parte del propietario y la empresa de gestión de propiedades. Esta fue una de las dos demandas clave en la manifestación del domingo pasado.

Sheila es la tercera inquilina que hasta ahora se ha prorrogado su arrendamiento -y se ha cancelado el desalojo- debido a la presión organizada del sindicato de inquilinos y de la comunidad.

Es hora de mantener la presión y conseguir que el propietario Jonathan Dayan acepte reunirse con el sindicato de inquilinos sobre un contrato colectivo. ¡No te pierdas las actualizaciones!

[Foto - Kate Alexandrite]

02/22/2021

(Español abajo) Yesterday, the Garden Terrace Tenants Union and community supporters confronted landlord Jonathan Dayan outside of his home. The union demanded that Dayan agree not to evict tenant Sheila Crawley, and meet to negotiate a collective contract. The tenants' peaceful requests were met with angry, nearly incoherent yelling by the landlord, who later called the police. The Union remains hopeful that he will change his tune and commit to a date for negotiations and a renewed lease for our neighbor Sheila.

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Ayer, el Sindicato de inquilinos de Garden Terrace y simpatizantes comunitarios se enfrentó al propietario, Jonathan Dayan, fuera de su casa. El sindicato exigió que Dayan no desalojara a la inquilina, Sheila Crawley, y que se reuniera con el sindicato para negociar un contrato colectivo. El propietario respondió a las solicitudes pacíficas de los inquilinos con una perorata airada y casi incomprensible. Más tarde, Dayan llamó a la policía. El Sindicato permanece esperanzado de que cambie de tono y se comprometa con una fecha para las negociaciones y un arrendamiento renovado para nuestra vecina Sheila. @ Durham, North Carolina

02/18/2021

Join the Garden Terrace Tenants Union this Sunday, February 21st at 4PM to win a collective contract and stop a tenant's eviction! Location is at Garden Terrace Apartments, 2003 House Ave, Durham, NC.

Unase al Sindicato de Inquilinos de Garden Terrace este domingo, 21 de febrero a las 4PM para ganar un arrendamiento colectivo y detener el desalojo de un inquilino! Ubicación es los apartamentos Garden Terrace, 2003 House Ave, Durham, NC.

02/12/2021

Check out this article La Noticia published today about the Garden Terrace campaign (en español):

El Sindicato de Inquilinos de los Apartamentos Garden Terrace en Durham se reunieron para exigir que el propietario respondiera...

02/09/2021

(español abajo)
On Sunday, February 7th, over 35 members of the Garden Terrace Tenants Union gathered with dozens of community supporters to demand that landlord Jonathan Dayan respond to their calls for a collective lease and safe living conditions.

Dayan has indicated a willingness to meet with tenants, but has failed to respond to their petitions, letters, and invitations to meet. The most recent letter and petition sent was signed by over 75% of the families at Garden Terrace. “We have sent him three letters, which he has not answered,” said Martha Mejía, president of the Garden Terrace Tenants Union. “This empty seat you see is for him. We are here ready to negotiate with him in good faith, and he is not here.”

The tenants were not shaken by the landlord’s absence, and took the opportunity to hold a public rally and teach-in educating their community about the solution of a collectively-held lease. At the end of the rally, union member Sheila Crawley called on the landlord to meet with the union, and for residents to remain unified:

“We are calling on our landlord to begin good faith, collective negotiations with the Union over revisions to our leases that would benefit everyone and push back against the wave of gentrification in Durham. We will not be intimidated. We will not be silent. And we will not accept any proposal or false solution that tries to divide neighbors or address collective problems in an individual manner. We are united in our struggle for justice."

[Photos - Kate Alexandrite]
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El domingo 7 de febrero, más de 35 miembros del Sindicato de Inquilinos de Garden Terrace se reunieron con docenas de simpatizantes de la comunidad para exigir que el propietario Jonathan Dayan respondiera a sus pedidos de un arrendamiento colectivo y condiciones de vida seguras.

Dayan indicó que estaba dispuesto a reunirse con los inquilinos, pero desde entonces no ha respondido a las múltiples cartas y correos electrónicos del sindicato. La carta y petición más reciente fue firmada por más del 75% de las familias de Garden Terrace. “Le hemos enviado tres cartas, que no ha respondido,” dijo Martha Mejía, presidenta del Sindicato de Inquilinos de Garden Terrace. “Este asiento vacío que ves es para él. Estamos aquí dispuestos a negociar con él de buena fe, y él no está aquí."

Los inquilinos no se sintieron conmovidos por la ausencia del propietario y aprovecharon la oportunidad para realizar una manifestación pública y enseñar a educar a su comunidad sobre la solución de un contrato de arrendamiento colectivo. Al final de la manifestación, miembro del sindicato Sheila Crawley pidió al propietario que se reuniera con el sindicato y que los residentes permanecieran unidos:

“Hacemos un llamado a nuestro arrendador para que comience negociaciones colectivas de buena fe con el Sindicato sobre las revisiones de nuestros contratos de arrendamiento que benefician a todos y rechazarían la ola de gentrificación en Durham. No seremos intimidados. No vamos a estar en silencio. Y no aceptaremos ninguna propuesta o falsa solución que intente dividir a los vecinos o abordar problemas colectivos de manera individual. Estamos unidos en nuestra lucha por la justicia.”

[Las fotos - Kate Alexandrite]