Organized labor across the country is now setting its sights on housing costs as rents and mortgages continue to soar

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/12205896

Organized labor across the country is now setting its sights on housing costs as rents and mortgages continue to soar

As housing has become a top issue in strikes and protests in recent months, US unions are pushing for change and backing innovative solutions for the housing affordability crisis.

With US house prices and rents rising in recent years, and high interest rates and inflation taking their toll, housing affordability has become a major issue at the bargaining table for US labor unions. Many workers are facing 60-, 90-, even 120-minute commutes to work because they cannott afford to live near their jobs.

Housing has been a big issue in the recent rolling strikes by thousands of Los Angeles hotel workers. In Oregon, 400 Yamhill county government employees went on strike in November because, the union said, “many workers are not able to afford housing”. In the Twin Cities, worker dismay about large rent hikes is fueling plans for a multi-union strike by up to 30,000 workers in March. When San Francisco hotel workers hold contract talks later this year, housing affordability will be a top issue.

  • AutoTL;DR@lemmings.worldBEnglish
    1·
    8 months ago

    This is the best summary I could come up with:

    In the Twin Cities, labor leaders are threatening an innovative, multi-union strike next month with housing affordability a leading issue, along with higher pay and improving schools.

    Unions representing 1,000 airport workers, 2,500 security guards, 4,500 janitors, and thousands of teachers and support staff have coordinated their contract expiration dates so they can all go on strike in early March.

    The unions want Minneapolis to enact a law limiting rent increases and are asking for guarantees that if government money in the Twin Cities is used to convert office buildings to apartments, those projects will produce affordable housing.

    Greg Nammacher, president of an SEIU local representing Twin Cities janitors and security guards, said: “Our survey of our members found that by a multiple of two housing was their biggest issue outside of wages and benefits.”

    “During the first three-quarters of the 20th century, unions were a strong voice and advocate for affordable housing for working families,” said Peter Dreier, an urban policy expert at Occidental College in Los Angeles.

    Even as LA’s real estate industry has challenged the tax in court – it lost the first round – officials in several other cities have expressed interest in adopting a similar scheme to finance housing.

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