Our Principles

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1. Power comes from our ability to directly confront landlords together.

   Landlords and real estate capitalists are well-organized through trade groups and business associations that provide them disproportionate control of our region. As tenants, we need to get organized too. We build tenant associations at complexes to mount escalating demands against landlords. As a union, we bring these associations together with other tenants, not just to defend ourselves from exploitation, but to go on the offensive and demand better conditions. We believe that collective direct action is the most powerful tactic tenants have.
    

2. Our union is autonomous and democratic.

   By autonomous, we mean that we are (1) class-autonomous: our union is composed of tenants. Landlords, developers, and their allies in police departments have no place in our union. (2) We are politically autonomous: decisions are made by tenants collectively and democratically, without interference from outside nonprofits or political organizations. This is counter to many housing advocacy organizations whose political horizons are often constrained by their funding sources and their informal allegiance to the Democratic Party. Our organization is independent and answers only to tenants.
    

3. We make the most vulnerable the most powerful in our union.

   The crisis facing tenants in the Triangle most impacts the most vulnerable. Black and brown tenants face displacement, undocumented tenants face threats of deportation, unhoused tenants face violent sweeps from local police, disabled tenants face inaccessible housing. Universal emancipation is only possible by supporting the struggles and demands of the most oppressed.
    

4. Our union rejects any and all discrimination.

   We reject patriarchal and white supremacist behaviors and norms within the union. These patterns of behavior have destroyed working class movements and mass organizations throughout American history; it is only through a culture of accountability and openness to criticism that we can build something better in our union. Our goal is the transformation of society - this is not possible without our own transformation as individuals.

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Bylaws

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Article 1: Membership and Dues

1.1 TTU is a mass organization that is democratically—which is to say collectively—run by its membership body. 

 

1.2 TTU has a two part structure of dues-paying members—a voting partition of tenants, and non-voting partition for allied homeowners. 

 

1.2a Voting membership is composed of tenants. “Tenant” is defined as anyone who does not own their home, including tenants of community land trusts, and does not have power over any other person’s housing situation. “Tenant” therefore makes no distinction between unhoused and housed renters.
 

1.2b Non-voting membership is composed of non-tenants who own their own homes who nevertheless align themselves with the tenants’ movement.
 

1.2c Landlords, or agents of landlords, cannot be members of TTU.  “Landlord” is defined as a person who extracts rent and/or a person who has exclusive control over removal of another person’s tenancy status. If there is any ambiguity about a prospective member’s eligibility, their membership may be approved by a majority vote of the voting membership.
 

1.2d Persons employed in law enforcement are not eligible for membership. 

 

1.3 TTU members may not enter into the organization in order to redirect TTU’s energy towards the ends of liberal organizations, reactionary groups, and electoral politics. Evidence of such is grounds for expulsion. Members are free to engage in such efforts independent of TTU. 

 

1.4 Membership dues are required and begin as low as $1 per month, and no more than $25 per month. There is also a $0 option for tenants facing financial precarity. Dues information is private and there shall be no distinction between any members based on dues payments.

 

1.5 Dues shall be used for any and all organizational tasks. This includes but may not be limited to meeting supplies, educational materials, community events, and mobilizations. Dues may also be used to support movement efforts as they arise if approved by a majority in a general meeting vote. Major reimbursements of more than $200 require proposals to a general meeting. Dues expenditures will be detailed for all members to see on a quarterly basis. If money becomes scarce, adjustments can be made to this policy in the monthly General Meeting. 

 

1.6 Our organizational model is centered on reciprocity. We hope that anyone who comes to us for tenant organizing and whose unit we help to organize will return the favor by helping us organize other tenants. This is how we grow. Tenants who organize with us are encouraged to become members of TTU. 

 

Article 2: Organizational Structure

2.1 General Meetings: General Meetings have at least three functions: (1) For proposing and solidifying union-wide tactical decisions that require organization-level coordination. (2) For proposing and solidifying committees (3) For proposing and solidifying one-off exceptions to the TTU rules. General Meetings are open to members and TTU friends, though only members may make proposals and only voting members may vote on proposals. 

 

2.1a Meetings will be held either monthly or bi-monthly.
 

2.1b Ten percent or 15 people, whichever is lower, will meet quorum for decisions in General Meetings. Votes will be approved by a simple majority. Voting ends at midnight on the night of the General Meeting. If attendance does not meet standard quorum, a quorum of at least 7 people can make decisions with consensus in order to not stall uncontroversial business.
 

2.1c Proposals must be available for TTU members to read 7 days before Meetings.
 

2.1d Meetings may also be used to stage debates or any other event that promotes education for TTU members.
 

2.1e Proxy voting, online voting, as well as remote access like Zoom, will be made available for those who cannot attend General Meetings. There is a cap of 3 proxy votes per member.

2.1f Rusty’s Rules of Order will be used to address any meeting procedures that are not covered within these bylaws.

 

2.2 Committees: Committees perform essential functions for TTU to operate as a mass organization, such as onboarding and tenant organizing. 

 

2.2a Three committees will meet on a regular basis to see to the growth, development, and political efficacy of TTU.
 

​1. Onboarding Committee - Meets with and mobilizes new members as outlined here, and brings semi- and non-engaged members into more core organizational roles.
 

2. Organizing Committee - Monitors active and inactive organizing work, produces new efforts and work, trains new militant organizers, and coordinates ongoing general outreach like flyering, canvassing, etc.
 

3. Communications Committee - Handles incoming media requests, manages social media accounts, tech infrastructure, and facilitates outreach for General Meetings and other TTU-wide events
 

2.2b New committees can be formed if at least 2 TTU members present a proposal that is approved by a majority of a General Meeting vote. Each presenting member must be committed to working as an active member within the committee.
 

2.2c Committees may make decisions according to collectively chosen method. Committees are responsible for making all TTU decisions relevant to the function of their committee, though they are answerable to the larger membership body at General Meetings. As regularly as necessary, committees should provide report backs at General Meetings.

 

2.3 Councils: A tenant council is a group of tenants organizing collectively who have an affiliation with TTU. 

 

2.3a Self-Rule: The structure and organization, including leadership and governing documents, are used according to the preferences of the council. Councils may be informal, and exist only through the active communication and coordination of council members. Some councils may be formal, which means that a majority of organized tenants have voted to officially become a council. TTU can and should provide opinions on internal organizing based on lessons of organizing experiences. 

 

2.3b Affiliation: Affiliation of a council with TTU is preferably official: with a council voting to affiliate with TTU. However, affiliation may be unofficial, with some members of a council joining TTU as individuals. All affiliated tenant councils are to be supported by TTU. Councils that are not officially affiliated can be supported at the request of individuals who are also TTU members.  

 

Article 3: Leadership

3.1 TTU coordinators are tasked with directing the organization in line with the will of the membership body, which is the highest decision-making body of TTU, and ensuring that the organization runs smoothly. All positions are subject to recall or resignation at any time and any decisions made by coordinators can be overruled or overturned by the general membership body.

 

3.1a All leadership positions must be filled by persons who are TTU members. Positions should be filled by voting members when possible but may be filled by non-voting members if necessary.

 

3.1b Coordinators can be recalled if 4 TTU members petition to do so at a General Meeting and a 2/3rds majority of the body votes to approve.
 

3.1c – Special elections for replacement of leadership positions should occur at General Meetings. The term of a replacement will be the remainder of the original.
 

3.2 TTU will have the following 4 union-wide positions. Terms are set at 1 year and elections will be held in the first week of March. Additional positions may also be created and elected by membership at a General Meeting.

 

3.2a Onboarding Committee Coordinator (2 positions): Facilitates and maintains the infrastructure for the onboarding committee. This includes: scheduling and bottom-lining regular committee meetings and check-ins, ensuring that new members (including prospective internal organizers) are mobilized and plugged into the union, and that members are being developed into leaders and core union organizers.
 

3.2b Organizing Committee Coordinator (2 positions): Facilitates and maintains the infrastructure for the tenant organizing committee. This includes: scheduling and holding bi-weekly organizing committee meetings, ensuring that general membership is aware of meetings, maintaining access to tenant organizing materials (canvassing sheets, training materials, etc), coordinating with affiliated councils to send representatives to meetings.
 

3.2c Communications Coordinators (2 positions): Communications coordinators are tasked with maintaining the TTU website and social media accounts, handling incoming media requests, and producing fliers/images for outreach.
 

3.2d Treasurer (1-2 positions): The Treasurer is tasked with maintaining TTU dues, providing a short financial report to the general membership meetings or at the request of any member, reimbursing TTU members for essential expenses, and paying any invoices.
 

3.3 Coordinator Committee. In order to synchronize the efforts of TTU-wide Committees, Coordinators will meet monthly as a Coordinator Committee. The Coordinator Committee is tasked with the bottom-lining of monthly General Meetings. The meetings of the Coordinator Committee will be open to any TTU member. This Committee will act in accordance with the will of the membership. The Coordinator Committee should work to replace themselves with newly engaged members. 

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New Bylaws approved by general body vote on 01.13.2024