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Comrade,
Tenants in Alexandria are standing up to their landlord with just four words:
"No job? No rent."
That's what Sami Bourma said when he was laid off from his job due to the COVID-19 emergency. Sami is a leader in the labor union UNITE HERE Local 23 and he knows that, even if he's not working, he can still organize with his fellow workers. He started talking to other union members who live at Southern Towers, a huge apartment complex in Alexandria, about a rent strike.
Tomorrow, the Alexandria City Council will vote on a resolution supporting tenants at Southern Towers and elsewhere who are standing up for their rights. Please send council members and other officials an email before noon TOMORROW, Tuesday, April 14 to say that you support the Southern Tower tenants. You can find a sample script and email addresses at the bottom of this message.
The resolution before the council calls for landlords and the Virginia state government to cancel rents for tenants affected by COVID-19. It is modeled on resolutions championed by DSA-backed elected officials across the country. When the Alexandria City Council votes tomorrow, we need to make sure council members know that tenants have the support of democratic socialists throughout the D.C. metro region.
The same situation unfolding at Southern Towers is happening everywhere. An unprecedented number of workers have lost their jobs over the past month, and millions of people are being forced to choose between feeding their families and paying rent to their landlords. In Alexandria, Sami, his neighbors, and organized tenants across the country know there's a fair solution: landlords need to cancel rent. Bell Partners, the owner of Southern Towers, is a giant corporate landlord sitting on huge amounts of cash — it can afford to give tenants a fair deal.
Can you email the Alexandria City Council and tell them to stand up for tenants? Send an email before noon TOMORROW, Tuesday, April 14. There are email addresses for council members and a sample script below.
After sending your email in support of Southern Tower tenants, email [email protected] to get involved in more housing organizing in our region. Onward!
In Solidarity,
Metro D.C. DSA
EMAIL ADDRESSES: ALEXANDRIA CITY OFFICIALS
SAMPLE SCRIPT FOR EMAILS
Hi my name is _______________________. I am contacting you about the Resolution to State and Federal Governments requesting a moratorium related to rents. I urge city council to support this resolution. As long as people are out of work due to the COVID-19 emergency, they should not live in fear of eviction or back-due rent.
I also urge you to support the tenants striking in Southern Towers by contacting landlord Bell Partners and telling them to meet and negotiate with tenant leaders about health conditions in the building. While we are battling a deadly pandemic, we need to prioritize the lives and safety of working class people above corporate profits. Investor-backed Bell Partners can afford to cancel rent and keep people safe in their homes through this crisis.
Thank you,
