Tenants Uphold Right to Organize at Sunset Ridge

 

New Haven, CT — Tenants from the Sunset Ridge Apartments spoke out at a press conference urging their corporate landlord, Capital Realty Group (CRG), to cease union-busting and intimidation tactics at the sprawling, 312-unit complex.

The Sunset Ridge Apartments are home to hundreds of New Haven residents, mostly workers not earning enough in wages to afford market-rate rentals. The complex is designated as low-income housing tax-credit property (LIHTC), so most tenants pay a slightly below-market rent but do not benefit from income-based rent subsidies.

April, who has lived in the complex for 21 years, took the mic to recall how beautiful it was when she first moved in, kid friendly and well maintained. Never was there a mouse or roach problem, she said, until five years ago when Capital took over. Now, pests are out of control. When her 93 year-old mother's apartment flooded repeatedly. Capital told her to move.

"Their answer to fix something is just move. At 93 years." exclaimed CT Tenants Union organizer Luke Melonakos.

Juan said his rent has kept going up, but repairs like replacing a carpet in bad condition, are not taken care of. “If they raise the rent they've got to fix it.” he declared.

Along with community allies, New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker stood in solidarity with the tenants seeking to organize a union, sending a message to Capital Realty Group that the right to organize is fundamental and in New Haven, it is still respected! In 2022 New Haven was the first city in Connecticut to adopt an ordinance establishing a process to recognize tenant unions.

Issues uniting the tenants include mice and roach infestations; widespread mold; water leaks and sewage problems; heat/hot water outages; repeated false claims of owed rent; and predatory towing without notice.

Like the recently organized union at Park Ridge Apartments, also owned by Capital Realty Group, some tenants receive rapid repairs while others are left for weeks or months with unsafe conditions. 

In escalating attempts to stop tenants from unionizing. Capitol Realty Group staff have: called the police on tenants speaking with their neighbors about forming a union. They have accused union organizers of “being with ICE” and blamed the widespread pest infestations on “tenants being dirty”. Two CT Tenants Union representatives visiting residents were served “no trespass notices” among many other acts of intimidation.

While banning CTTU organizers and journalists from speaking with the residents and creating an environment of surveillance and intimidation to discourage tenants from speaking with each other, Capital Realty Group has openly supported, encouraged, and funded (including a bouncy house and large meal) a so-called “Sunset Ridge Tenant Union.” This “tenant union” is run by an un-elected board that includes at least one confirmed CRG employee.

This attempt by a corporate landlord to establish a “company tenant union,” is from the playbook of corporate tactics used to bust labor unions and prevent workers from forming their own organization.

Despite the environment of intense repression, Sunset Ridge tenants are fighting back. They seek to join the nationwide movement of tenant unionization at CRG-owned properties in their fight for dignified housing. Renters in Detroit, Kansas City, Billings, and Louisville, and across town in New Haven, have already formed majority unions and are pushing for a bargaining process with the principles of CRG—Moshe Eichler and Sam Horowitz—over the deteriorating conditions of their homes.

Hannah Srajer, president of the tenants union, repeated that Capital Realty sends one message to tenants: Dont get together to solve your problems. She said very soon the union would enter its next organizing stage: Tenants getting their neighbors to sign union cards. "We support the drive until we go all the way. This will be the 8th union across country."

Peter Fousek, secretary treasurer of the union explained why we were out here.

“We are here,” said Peter Fousek, Secretary treasure of the union, “because tenants have to have one, two or three jobs, and work 70 hours per week to pay their rent, yet suffer health threats in their apartments.”

Despite the mice and roach problems the rent keeps going up. “We are here, he said, “to celebrate tenants fighting.”

When tenant union leaders met with the owner Moshe Eichler., he welcomed tenants negotiations and agreed to no retaliation to union tenant union organizers.

“He forgot what he promisedm” said Fousek. “We are here to remind him what he said. That means not following tenants. Not telling tenants who they can bring into their apartments, their friends, neighbors, or the press. Freedom of speech means we can talk. We are ready to take Eichler up on his offer for good faith negotiations.”