We Strike Together campaigns for relief for residential renters unable or unwilling to pay rent. A coalition of “rent strike” groups formed the coalition in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic for the alleged purpose of unifying renters to gain relief from paying their monthly rent. 1 However, the organization’s charter extends beyond the pandemic, claiming housing is a “human right” and aligning with similar radical-left and economic-left organizations. 1
A group called Make Them Pay, is featured on We Strike Together’s website. It employed a tactic to further the cancellation of all payments of rents and mortgages by delivering body bags to a building owned by President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and policy advisor Jared Kushner. 2 A Marxist writer views We Strike Together’s efforts as the first coordinated step in dismantling capitalism. 3
Background
We Strike Together’s website encourages people to sign up for the “rent strike” and then tracks those strikers. This tool claims over 600,000 households were refusing to pay their rent as of early July 2020,4 either because they were unable or were unwilling. 5 The ostensible purpose of these rent strikes is to gather collective strength to drive federal aid for the renters. 6 We Strike Together seeks to stop the supposed enrichment of banks and landlords,7 demands restricting corporations from taking properties, evicting tenants, and foreclosures. 4
Joint Effort
Nine left-of-center housing policy and radical-left economics groups teamed to form We Strike Together. The groups are People’s Action, Action Center on Race and the Economy (ACRE), Bargaining for the Common Good, the Center for Popular Democracy, Jobs with Justice, Partnership for Working Families, Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment, Alliance for Housing Justice, and Housing Justice for All. 8
Action Center on Race and the Economy (ACRE)
Main coalition partner ACRE seeks a systemic solution for renters due the alleged structural racism in the United States that purportedly weakened minority communities. It believes all pandemic aid has benefited only billionaires and Wall Street institutions. ACRE seeks to organize support to change the impact of the pandemic crisis from the renters onto the wealthy and big corporations. 1 ACRE blames corporations for ravaging and destroying minority neighborhoods, and damaging the environment. Its executive director, Maurice BP-Weeks, claims that banks gained their wealth by stealing from minority communities. 9
References
- Oso, Tia. “We Who Believe in Freedom Cannot Rest in a Pandemic.” Medium. Breaking Down The System, May 1, 2020. https://medium.com/breaking-down-the-system/we-who-believe-in-freedom-cannot-rest-in-a-pandemic-3401eecca27c.
- “Facebook.” Make them Pay: Demand a Recovery4All at Kushner Trump Bay Street, May 20, 2020. https://www.facebook.com/events/241514840490433/.
- Ruccio, David F. “‘Can’t Pay? Won’t Pay!”-Pandemic Edition.” occasional links & commentary on economics, culture and society. Unequal Representations, May 21, 2020. https://anticap.wordpress.com/2020/05/19/cant-pay-wont-pay-pandemic-edition/.
- “For Our Families, For Our Health, For Our Future.” We Strike Together. We Strike Together, July 1, 2020. https://westriketogether.org/.
- Biron, Carey L. “’One Paycheck Away’ from Homelessness: Housing Inequality Fuels U.S. Protests.” Reuters. Thomson Reuters, June 3, 2020. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-protests-housing-idUSKBN23A2UM.
- Singletary, Michelle. “Perspective | FAQ: Rent Strikes during the Pandemic.” The Washington Post. WP Company, May 7, 2020. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/05/07/rent-strike-faq/.
- “Meet the Strikeforce.” We Strike Together. We Strike Together, May 2, 2020. https://westriketogether.org/strikeforce/.
- “HOUSING IS A HUMAN RIGHT. WE’RE FIGHTING TO MAKE THAT A REALITY.” We Strike Together. We Strike Together, April 30, 2020. https://westriketogether.org/about/.
- Jan, Tracy, Jena McGregor, Renae Merle, and Nitasha Tiku. “As Big Corporations Say ‘Black Lives Matter,’ Their Track Records Raise Skepticism.” The Washington Post. WP Company, June 13, 2020. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/06/13/after-years-marginalizing-black-employees-customers-corporate-america-says-black-lives-matter/?arc404=true.