About us

We are:

  • A non-hierarchical and horizontal union of tenants.
  • Using direct action and collective mobilization to defend our interests.
  • Based on solidarity, camaraderie, and one-on-one conversations.
  • A center for planning protests, postering, tabling, social events, militant actions, and popular education.
  • A place to help tenants organize their buildings and their neighbors. We help with door-knocking, flyering, building meetings, and planning pressure campaigns against specific landlords.
  • In solidarity with our homeless neighbors who are the most affected by the housing crisis. Growing numbers of people are thrown into homelessness by the increasing costs of rent.
  • Autonomous: independent of governments, funders, or corporations.
  • Combative: wherever there are evictions, rent increases, harassment and abuse, we want to be there fully committing ourselves to direct actions.
  • For a general rent strike: the coordinated mass refusal to pay rents to landlords across the island of Montreal. This will allow us to regain control of our buildings and neighborhoods from the capitalist class. To get there, we need to start building tenant power, solidarity, mass action, and direct action today.
  • For complete tenant control of our buildings.
  • In solidarity with other struggles against capitalism, the state, and all forms of exploitation and oppression.
  • For free, inclusive, and self-managed housing. For the right to housing like the right to medicine, water, food, and education.

What Distinguishes us:

  • We are not a legal clinic or a know-your-rights organization. While these tools can be useful, they direct energy into government tribunals. These tribunals are not meant to bring an end to the housing-market. They are meant to standardize it and reduce some abuses. They are often difficult to navigate, indifferent, and partial towards landlords. We need to start solving, and increasing our capacity to solve, our problems through collective mobilization and direct action.
  • We are not paid militants. We want to avoid union bureaucracy and people who use unions as a vehicle for making money. 
  • We're not lobbyists: the changes we want go beyond legislation. Chasing politicians only dilutes our demands, and creates an elite of people within our organization who are capable of engaging with officials. This environment is not hospitable towards a mass organization focused on local battles with landlords and one-on-one conversations between tenants.
  • We are not a service organization: We expect tenants to help us in return, however they can, in exchange for our solidarity. We offer no legal promises or contracts. We are all responsible for fighting back against landlords and need strength in numbers!
  • We are not a bureaucratic union. Union dues don't go to paying staff.
  • We are not reformists: We do not just want lower rent increases or fewer evictions. We want an end to landlordship and capitalism. We want the right to housing, self-management, and a society based on egalitarian and communitarian social relations. This can only come through mass militancy. 
  • We're not looking to make friends with our landlords or to create a long-term relationship of compromise. The union is a space for tenants, by tenants, to advance our common interests.

What we Offer to New Union Members

  • Mutual aid and support, such as help with house-sitting, petsitting, childcare, and shopping.
  • Help and support if you decide to organize a union in your building.
  • Support for planning and executing actions against your landlord, including protests in front of the house of your landlord, picket lines, banner drops, telephone campaigns, and boycotts.
  • Opportunities to meet and help tenants like yourself, and to help build a new community in your neighbourhood.
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