Eco-Tenant Unions are Active in Calgary!

Calgary ACORN held a very successful workshop on Tenant and Eco-Tenant Unionism. Tenants from across Calgary came together and learned how to start a union in their building from tenants who have successfully organized in their buildings.

At the workshop, Stephanie Hanyes and Elaine Bruce-Haynes – interviewed here on ACORN Canada Radio – went over step-by-step how they got a union started at their building. As it often does, the organizing starts with an issue, and in their building the issue was endless construction and excessive heat.

Participants in the workshop also learned all about ACORN’s province-wide campaign for rent control and eviction protections and developed action plans to move that campaign forward. Tenants discussed how the Tenant Unions can help ensure that energy-efficiency upgrades happen in our buildings and in a way that does not displace tenants or raise rents.

In the coming months, Calgary ACORN will be holding more Tenant Workshops focussed on building tenants’ capacity to engage directly with Calgary City Hall!