Alejandro Monzon and Christian Glennon

00:01 Hello, my name is Chris Glennon. I am 22 years old. Today is September 25th 2017. We are at the Keller offices and I am a color volunteer interviewing Alejandro and ATU organizer.

00:23 My name is Alejandro. I'm 26 years old today's date is the the September 25th 2017.

00:34 I'm at the color offices, and I'm being interviewed by by Chris, volunteer.

00:46 Okay, Alejandro, I guess the first thing that I wanted to know is that I had kind of an 80 organizers what kind of things do you do in relation to like your work with like tenants in the city? What what is your work situation like

01:11 Like what? What what is it that I've done so

01:19 Basically the work is

01:24 Working with tenants who are either having

01:31 Or I

01:33 Facing poor conditions in their living spaces apartment whatever or they're facing eviction from developers. So the work of an 8U organizer is to talk with them to see if they're interested in doing something about their situation and if they are

01:53 Provide guidance terms of what options there are the pathways there are that exist where they can fight and all throughout the process of making sure that the tenants are making the decisions about what's going to affect them. So throughout the whole campaign. They're making decisions about what what to do next etcetera and we make sure we provide all the necessary information that they need to to make that decision.

02:26 Alright, so now that we kind of have a sense of your rolling in 80 you can I ask you a like how many families were living in the block? What type of leaf is 4800 North Christiana was evicted in February?

02:52 Yes, it was it was one building of 4815 North Christiana was 25 apartment units. So all of them were families that were there were some couples living there but the vast majority of them were family. So and when we got there all of the units were occupied not all the Union States to fight, but all of those units were occupied by families.

03:25 And so how was how did it?

03:32 How did what what will it do to color from the situation? What was the process like?

03:46 I believe we had words with kala in the past maybe even know maybe we had it. I think this was the first time you were working with with Carla on a and a case.

03:58 I'd have to talk to the rest of the folks to make sure that that's correct. But I believe this the first at least big case that we worked with kala on and I think that the main way that we knew about Carla was because one of the other organizers in the organization.

04:20 You know work with collar and so we were aware of, you know, the principles of Kala the way they work the way they're oriented towards organizing and partnering with organizations that actually organizing and you know confront power. So we we got in touch we began a process and and that's how it happened.

04:47 Okay, that's that sounds perfect going back a bit. How was the situation in the building at the moment where I can you describe a little bit about the scene and what were some of people's his reactions and what they were saying about this process that was happening.

05:13 The first note in the way this all happened was that a family that had been previously evicted by the same company that bought the building in question that were talking about now.

05:24 Let that family have been evicted by that same company a few blocks down Lawrence east of of the building. And so we worked with them back in 2014. I believe it was and we worked with the Allure in the community. We were able to get those folks more time to move rent-free all that kind of thing at the end of finding a place at this building at 4815 and then they found out that it was the same company that I had given them a 30 day notice to leave or that or the company would sue them for eviction. So

06:04 That family talked to everyone else organize the meeting in their apartment and then called us to see if we can come and give them some some guidance on what to do and you know, they were confident about what you know, they were able to win from their previous fight that we engage with with them and

06:27 And so, you know, I mean that I think it was self-organized when we got there. And in most I mean, they don't really know what to do next. We provided that guidance but it is really strong throughout the whole campaign. I mean, they they were appalled by the situation that they had to face of, you know being worried about leaving within 30 days, but they decided that they had enough confidence in the group and they to you that they were going to stay and fight and yeah, that's pretty much how it be in.

07:05 All right.

07:08 And okay, so that's how it began. So let's talk a little bit about kind of like following this process through it like color. How was collaborating with Calla? How is that have experience with did you collaborate with and what were some of the steps taken? Can you go through this?

07:30 Yes, we we collaborated with two lawyers.

07:36 And I believe there are more working on that in the campaign. But we we just didn't meet with them face-to-face. So we met with Chad and Lomb and it was it was very good because they

07:49 We're very responsive to our questions. They came out and they came out to meetings when when necessary up in the neighborhood and they let us know all throughout the process the risk and potential benefits of making one decision over the other in the in this legal process, which made it easier for us to the translate that information to the tenants and then have them make a decision about what needed to be done.

08:24 And how did that kind of impact the kind of press release press conference that you guys held in February. How was that process kind of how did it lead up to it? And how about the results given this company's history of evicting tenants not only in the neighborhood but across the north side of Chicago. They had a history of evicting what we found to be released primarily Latino families. And so

09:01 Basically, we had a case for potential discrimination in court. And so we were doing all the research to to back up this claim and I would really help that when the press conference game is at Cala was willing to talk about that publicly because that gave us a lot of Leverage so, you know.

09:29 What things to do a press conference basically shame in the company ruining their their Public Image and then it's quite another thing to have then also add on to that that there's the potential discrimination case because of the research that we had done and and we can actually shame the company for even more than you know, just a victim this one building but evicting multiple buildings across Chicago. So that's I think that was the real big piece of of the press conference that that color really played a key role.

10:10 So I'm in this situation what was kind of like the particular day that you were providing? And what seemed to be like the most helpful thing in this case?

10:29 Track my ID from calling or

10:34 Well, you're rolling the process and then your work with Bella.

10:40 So what yeah, I get my role was along with Barbara who's the other organizer on the campaign was to let the tenants know about what the options are and what new ideas they could potentially.

10:57 Adapt to their campaign based on what we had experienced before and the research that we help.

11:05 I'll provide them in in the situation. So we held weekly meetings.

11:12 Who assisted Princeton's?

11:15 Prepping for negotiations after the press conference the company wanted to negotiate we ended up negotiating at a school and so our role was to translate be intermediaries for the tenants only for translation done in terms of like representing them. They were sending representatives in the space representing there and their group.

11:40 What movie did the Translating? Yeah, that mean that was on a roll like that to make sure folks are are sticking with the plan helping folks get over fears about what would happen next and really, you know, I'm trying to Spur more confidence in the group stay together and to keep fighting because as we say in the eighth to you, but you followed us like that. Like it's it's true, you know, especially in and 10 and organizing right now. We're not a whole lot of corporate landlords have to face public campaigns with angry tenants going to the media protesting at their office as you do what have you there likely to fold pretty easily. It never case but in a lot of cases that are likely to fold, so that's

12:34 That's kind of our role and then

12:38 And then the second part of the question was Carlos roll.

12:47 Like I said before providing the information that we can then provide to the tenants. They did a lot of legal research about even I think you know, I think it had to do with the procedural steps needed to be taken to even present a discrimination claim in front of the judge and didn't make that go forward. So we did a lot of like the public records research. They did a lot of the legal procedural research and you know that we provided them and you know processing that in the way that makes sense legally, of course, we didn't end up going through with the Discrimination claim because the the company conceited in and negotiated with us, but we will let you know at one point we were going to that we were going to do it, you know, and it was a decision of the tenants to to not do it and instead negotiate with the landlord. So

13:41 And I was at the outcome of the press conference of the whole process.

13:49 Yes, so that the outcome of all the meetings the delegations that we did to the landlord the press conference that we did with great media. Turn out a Wii U from better inside the building every would like every tenant, you know, aside from a few who had to work was their present for the press conference. Very energized. It was a lot like a rally and the press conference to

14:18 So after all that the landlord decided to negotiate and and I should say we we did have it have some significant help from the community in this respect because one of the neighbors who who loved the tenant who lived in 4815, he always hosted like black party. They would always participate they would always have a great time and he was really I think angry and sad to have to see them leave and so he got in touch with the principal at Hibbard a school where the vast majority of that tenant families have kids going to and so he helped us with getting that space, you know, kind of mediated by the principal of the school and he was kind of the moral Authority and that space about you know, the way the developer should be acting in the situation given that Hughes pretty much representing the kids, you know, cuz he didn't want them to

15:18 Leave in the middle of the school year. So that's the negotiations it is there was there was some over the phone stuff that we just had to work out the details, but pretty much that day at school. We had decided that tennis with cats. I believe it was five months more stay three months of which were rent-free and then the last two months were toward the end of the five months and only if they needed it they would have to pay rent. So if they were able to move out within the three months they can move out without having to pay any more rent if they had to say that fourth month, it would pay the rent, but they would have more time to find a place. So that was basically the result.

16:04 And so that was a result. So what did you think of it? Are you satisfied iru? Do you think that more could have been done that more more work has to be done. And what do you think about Carla do you think about what kind of color in the end? Did they delivered it? Are you satisfied or not? I'm very satisfied with the work that, did I say to you we would try to be as self-critical as possible. If you would have lessons that we learned was that even the collar was ready to take on this case and ready to put in discrimination case of if we wanted them to do that.

16:53 And that is to say it to you and the tenants one of them to do that.

16:59 One of our self criticisms was that.

17:03 Perhaps we could have exercised more leadership in certain moments to eunos / the tennis to take more risk because you know, it is impossible to know exactly you know, what an alternative outcome would have been but I think it would have been an unprecedented act to file this discrimination claim against silver and I think

17:30 Not only would have benefited the tenants at this building but I think it would have benefited tenants to come because you know silver is going to keep investing in the neighborhood buying buildings keep the victims families and I think this could have been a really good to turn but because of as a matter of principle ATU does

17:51 Is it since we accompany the tenants the with whom we're organizing it is the the tenants decision about what to do and it's not our decision. So we are Faithfully abided by what they wanted to do the majority of them.

18:08 And that's where it went, but

18:13 Like I said could we have exercised a little bit more leadership in that moment saying, you know by taking this risk, you can not only help yourselves, but other folks like maybe we could have done that.

18:26 And you

18:30 A couple months ago, you mentioned a specific case regarding this but more generally like what was the impact on the families that we're going to be evicted and also, what did they think about it? What do you think they felt about it?

18:47 So, you know, it's always kind of a

18:53 It is it's obviously beneficial to the family. So, you know without question. I mean having to not pay rent for three months having that money to be able to save up for deposit having the time to comfortably look for a place especially in a season where a lot of rental units are available in the end. They can you do take their time and finding a decent place was extremely beneficial. They the vast majority of the building ended up staying in the neighborhood. I only know of one family

19:25 That had to move to a belmont-cragin still on the North side, but a little bit more West but the vast majority stayed in the neighborhood at rents that are I think will be considered today. What would be considered today a fordable even though there is a rent increase from what they were paying at that place where they from which they were evicted so

19:50 Yeah, obviously it was it was good, but that you know with with folks who?

19:57 Again, may or may not be undocumented or you know may or may not have a credit score or much care for public record. They've they probably could have got more time and maybe more months rent-free but most of the you know, upon presenting all this information obviously, like they didn't want to go, you know, take those risks, even if the the way it would affect them would be minimal.

20:26 So, you know, there's there's always rumors that happened in in the community about like while you automatically get 3 months free rent or whatever and so like it, you know, if you if you listen real attentively to the rumors and believe them then you're going to think while this wasn't much of a win. And so that happened with a couple families, but you know, we had to explain to posted that you know, those are rumors. You never know. What's going to happen in eviction Court, you know, you could do what you can to delay it but three months is kind of like the max if you if you do all those all those taxes and if you do it, right and in and all those, you know different factors that play into it, but you do a vast majority thought it was when they were happy about the outcome. They were happy about that their power in the situation and then several have you know, when we've asked them to help us in another key moments with organizing other tenants.

21:28 Alright, well, thank you and I have. I don't know if you have any other comments and any other suggestions for me some additional thoughts.

21:45 No, I think that's good. I hope you're able to get more input on the story cuz I think you know, obviously my only my perspective is limited. Like I would love to hear from one of the tenants on this like after they've had months of reflection and being at the new place and all these things like what you know, what was the impact as they interpreted now, so that's what I would like to see you. Well, thank you so much for taking the time to come visit us at Ocala and we appreciate it and this is fantastic. Thank you.

22:22 Thanks.