Tenants bring their demands to Capital Realty Group in New York

Unionized tenants of Capital Realty Group, representing nine properties across six states including two New Haven apartment complexes (Park Ridge Apartments and Sunset Ridge Apartments), traveled to company headquarters in Spring Valley New York for a national action to demand quality housing conditions and a meeting with CEO Moshe Eichler.

The New Haven tenants, members of the CT Tenants Union, traveled to the action by charter bus after having been accosted by Capital Realty Group at two press conferences, one in front of New Haven City Hall where Mayor Elicker expressed support for the tenants' right to unionize.

Capital Realty Group is a New York-based corporate landlord, owns at least 14,000 units of housing across 28 states, and is one of the nation’s largest owners of subsidized housing. 

When the tenants arrived, instead of agreeing to meet with them, the corporation paid and directed a counter-protest, harassing and physically assaulting tenant union representatives. One CRG representative snatched signs from union members and physically assaulted at least three tenants; Spring Valley police arrested him. 

Police confirmed that the violent counter-protestor group was “there by the invitation of the property owner.”

Despite CRG’s efforts to disrupt, the unions ran their complete program, including announcing a new union at another CRG-owned property, Golden Spike Apartments in Denver, Colorado.

The unions represented at the action were from Kansas City, MO, Lee's Summit, MO, Louisville, KY, billings, MT, Detroit MI, Denver CO and from New Haven Ct. These unions, joined together in the Tenant Union Federation, are organizing in over 1500 units owned by Capital Realty Group.

The Tenant Union Federation issued the following statement: 

“Mr. Eichler is desperate. Instead of meeting with his tenants, as they have repeatedly and respectfully requested, he has resorted to union-busting, intimidation, and now– outright abuse. This is evidence that Capital Realty Group is scared of their tenants’ power. Unfortunately for Mr. Eichler, his tactics are entirely ineffective, as the tenants’ organizing continues to expand. The tenants will not be intimidated. Mr. Eichler would be wise to meet the unions at the bargaining table and reach an immediate resolution, before his business suffers any further losses.”