0:00:12.559,0:00:18.680 I'm in Parkdale here they're threatening to 0:00:14.940,0:00:18.680 withhold their rent starting tomorrow. 0:00:24.439,0:00:28.289 Residents living at this building 0:00:26.849,0:00:31.550 here near King and Dufferin say they 0:00:28.289,0:00:31.550 shouldn't be forced to pay more rent. 0:00:32.000,0:00:36.660 They, along with tenants at other 0:00:34.530,0:00:38.430 buildings owned by the same management 0:00:36.660,0:00:42.270 company say they're going on a rent 0:00:38.430,0:00:45.860 strike. It could be the biggest one 0:00:42.270,0:00:45.860 Parkdale has ever seen. 0:00:48.329,0:00:53.710 Hundreds of residents in Parkdale have 0:00:51.460,0:00:55.809 refused to pay rent fighting back 0:00:53.710,0:00:58.179 against rent increases in their 0:00:55.809,0:01:04.959 neighborhood now tonight they plan to 0:00:58.179,0:01:07.390 take their action to the next level they 0:01:04.959,0:01:09.280 are now planning to expand by doubling 0:01:07.390,0:01:11.649 the number of buildings participating in 0:01:09.280,0:01:14.229 the rent strike from six to twelve next 0:01:11.649,0:01:16.659 month the rent strike here in Parkdale 0:01:14.229,0:01:21.759 hit a new level today as residents set 0:01:16.659,0:01:23.619 their sights on the decision maker this 0:01:21.759,0:01:25.690 storm the hallways of the truck you know 0:01:23.619,0:01:27.880 demanding the property manager met back 0:01:25.690,0:01:32.100 scrapped the above guideline rent 0:01:27.880,0:01:32.100 increases for the entire neighborhood 0:01:36.010,0:01:41.050 the two sides are now sitting down to 0:01:39.040,0:01:43.060 talk and could be close to an agreement 0:01:41.050,0:01:45.220 for these tenants getting to sit across 0:01:43.060,0:01:47.560 the table from corporate giants is 0:01:45.220,0:01:53.290 vindicating after months of fear and 0:01:47.560,0:01:55.330 criticism over their tactics what once 0:01:53.290,0:01:57.910 seems like an impossible task has now 0:01:55.330,0:01:59.830 empowered an entire community they hope 0:01:57.910,0:02:02.320 others across the city can see them as 0:01:59.830,0:02:15.010 an example that no corporation is too 0:02:02.320,0:02:16.930 big to take on one of the reasons why I 0:02:15.010,0:02:18.580 picked Parkdale as a neighborhood 0:02:16.930,0:02:20.770 because there was a great community 0:02:18.580,0:02:22.930 aspect so it just kind of feels less 0:02:20.770,0:02:24.820 like you're alone in a big city there's 0:02:22.930,0:02:26.860 quite a few people that I see Brian our 0:02:24.820,0:02:29.290 bikes taking their kids to school 0:02:26.860,0:02:30.790 was just a very welcoming community and 0:02:29.290,0:02:32.110 I really enjoy that when I first moved 0:02:30.790,0:02:33.730 here I was a little bit afraid cuz 0:02:32.110,0:02:35.740 Parkdale has a bad rep but I soon 0:02:33.730,0:02:36.910 learned that it's one of the safest 0:02:35.740,0:02:39.040 neighborhoods in this city 0:02:36.910,0:02:41.590 you know I like the fact that Parkdale 0:02:39.040,0:02:43.300 is sort of close to everything so you 0:02:41.590,0:02:44.830 know we got the gardener right here so 0:02:43.300,0:02:46.660 it's easy access to get onto the 0:02:44.830,0:02:48.730 freeways and highways but yet we're 0:02:46.660,0:02:51.130 still in the heart of downtown you know 0:02:48.730,0:02:53.170 downtown is really only five minutes ten 0:02:51.130,0:02:55.660 minutes away I like living by the lake 0:02:53.170,0:02:57.790 and that cool breeze in the summertime I 0:02:55.660,0:03:02.200 used to live in the North End of Toronto 0:02:57.790,0:03:04.330 and neighbors weren't as friendly you 0:03:02.200,0:03:07.989 know more well-to-do when keeping to 0:03:04.330,0:03:10.330 themselves Parkdale has a large low 0:03:07.989,0:03:12.070 income tenants population we have a ton 0:03:10.330,0:03:13.270 of high-rise apartment buildings and for 0:03:12.070,0:03:14.530 the most part they're folks that have 0:03:13.270,0:03:17.650 lived in the neighborhood for a very 0:03:14.530,0:03:21.700 long time people knows me in Parkville 0:03:17.650,0:03:23.990 and I don't go in maybe everybody's 0:03:21.700,0:03:27.140 friendly they helpful 0:03:23.990,0:03:28.700 that's why I love the faggot 90% of the 0:03:27.140,0:03:31.550 20,000 people that live in this 0:03:28.700,0:03:33.920 neighborhood are renters and of them a 0:03:31.550,0:03:36.620 higher than average proportion are 0:03:33.920,0:03:38.810 paying over 50% of their wages to rent 0:03:36.620,0:03:41.090 directly it's a community that is used 0:03:38.810,0:03:42.800 to working class struggles people know 0:03:41.090,0:03:44.360 that we need to work together and we 0:03:42.800,0:03:45.380 need to kind of get on the same page if 0:03:44.360,0:03:47.840 we're going to see changes in our 0:03:45.380,0:03:49.940 neighborhood for decades Parkville has 0:03:47.840,0:03:53.240 been a neighborhood where a struggle has 0:03:49.940,0:03:55.550 taken place between working-class poor 0:03:53.240,0:03:58.280 tenants and their landlords or their 0:03:55.550,0:04:00.050 bosses or the government it's a friendly 0:03:58.280,0:04:03.020 neighborhood and people look out for one 0:04:00.050,0:04:04.610 another I met my first neighbor on the 0:04:03.020,0:04:07.460 day I moved in he just said welcome to 0:04:04.610,0:04:08.870 the neighborhood gave me a magnet that I 0:04:07.460,0:04:10.280 saw in my fridge and that's just one of 0:04:08.870,0:04:11.720 the things I have loved about Park girls 0:04:10.280,0:04:14.330 it's day one so the nice place to live 0:04:11.720,0:04:16.610 Parkdale is really diverse and its 0:04:14.330,0:04:19.070 really welcoming to lots of different 0:04:16.610,0:04:20.600 folks who are able to start families and 0:04:19.070,0:04:22.460 stay in the neighborhood for a very long 0:04:20.600,0:04:24.200 time people feel really supported and 0:04:22.460,0:04:27.050 there's a lot of community services that 0:04:24.200,0:04:28.940 are really in tune with different 0:04:27.050,0:04:31.070 communities that they're serving there 0:04:28.940,0:04:32.960 are over 20 primary languages spoken in 0:04:31.070,0:04:35.900 the neighborhood and it has a high 0:04:32.960,0:04:37.850 number of new arrivals from other 0:04:35.900,0:04:41.210 countries to Canada living here as a 0:04:37.850,0:04:43.760 refugee I've been living in other 0:04:41.210,0:04:46.480 countries like Nepal in India and I 0:04:43.760,0:04:49.940 never had this sense of belonging and 0:04:46.480,0:04:52.610 this sense of belonging that's a comfort 0:04:49.940,0:04:56.030 zone for a new immigrant so that 0:04:52.610,0:04:59.300 don't get lost in a new country in your 0:04:56.030,0:05:03.460 culture although we Tibetan people came 0:04:59.300,0:05:05.480 here as a refugee scatter Canada 0:05:03.460,0:05:13.910 majority people are thinking 0:05:05.480,0:05:17.180 bulbulay especially if you're visiting 0:05:13.910,0:05:19.730 Parkdale for the first time Gritty often 0:05:17.180,0:05:22.490 in your face this neighborhood is now on 0:05:19.730,0:05:30.350 the gentrification fast-track how could 0:05:22.490,0:05:32.120 it not be look where it is people have 0:05:30.350,0:05:35.030 talked about Parkdale facing 0:05:32.120,0:05:37.310 gentrification for maybe 20 years now 0:05:35.030,0:05:39.080 and I think the word gentrification can 0:05:37.310,0:05:41.150 sometimes make that process a little 0:05:39.080,0:05:43.070 unclear for people when the process 0:05:41.150,0:05:45.560 itself is very clear in our neighborhood 0:05:43.070,0:05:47.750 it's a process of displacement it is 0:05:45.560,0:05:49.610 mostly a phenomenon of force of economic 0:05:47.750,0:05:51.350 and physical force exerted on 0:05:49.610,0:05:53.120 working-class people that destroys 0:05:51.350,0:05:54.710 working-class life and working-class 0:05:53.120,0:05:58.130 neighborhoods rents are they increasing 0:05:54.710,0:06:00.500 and if they increase too much rent that 0:05:58.130,0:06:04.220 we cannot effort landlords trying to 0:06:00.500,0:06:06.740 pick up talent so that they can get milk 0:06:04.220,0:06:08.990 and from which they can get more money 0:06:06.740,0:06:11.600 the landlord tries to get that tenant 0:06:08.990,0:06:14.120 out so that they can do very surface 0:06:11.600,0:06:16.730 level renovations on the unit give them 0:06:14.120,0:06:18.860 new appliances a new coat of paint and 0:06:16.730,0:06:22.880 then they can jack up the rent 0:06:18.860,0:06:25.250 sometimes 50% and get a new sort of 0:06:22.880,0:06:26.780 10-inch into the building so not the 0:06:25.250,0:06:29.150 working-class tenants that live in 0:06:26.780,0:06:29.900 Parkdale not immigrant families that 0:06:29.150,0:06:32.870 live in Parkdale 0:06:29.900,0:06:35.930 but generally young professional well 0:06:32.870,0:06:38.330 off white tenants and also the state 0:06:35.930,0:06:39.680 plays into it as well deportations have 0:06:38.330,0:06:43.070 gutted this name 0:06:39.680,0:06:44.570 in a lot of really severe ways up until 0:06:43.070,0:06:46.520 only recently this had been a 0:06:44.570,0:06:49.100 neighborhood in which a large number of 0:06:46.520,0:06:51.710 Roma and Sinti Hungarian and checked 0:06:49.100,0:06:53.510 refugees came and threw the concerted 0:06:51.710,0:06:55.340 effort of the state they were they were 0:06:53.510,0:06:56.900 systematically removed from this 0:06:55.340,0:06:58.729 neighborhood and deported back to really 0:06:56.900,0:07:00.139 deplorable conditions there's large 0:06:58.729,0:07:02.210 parts of our community that are missing 0:07:00.139,0:07:04.970 the Tibetans have been living here for 0:07:02.210,0:07:07.699 almost now 15 20 years so it seems that 0:07:04.970,0:07:10.699 it's gentrification is disintegrating 0:07:07.699,0:07:13.370 the social vibrancy in part a so that's 0:07:10.699,0:07:15.860 really disheartening to see that part of 0:07:13.370,0:07:18.229 is a poor neighborhood and everybody 0:07:15.860,0:07:21.460 helped each other but other people move 0:07:18.229,0:07:24.620 in this area they acting like 0:07:21.460,0:07:26.630 differently like they are more important 0:07:24.620,0:07:28.850 and you and you believe he loved a 0:07:26.630,0:07:31.520 different kind of local spots closing 0:07:28.850,0:07:33.470 they put in a Starbucks that's changed 0:07:31.520,0:07:34.039 the banks are moving out that's not a 0:07:33.470,0:07:36.080 good thing 0:07:34.039,0:07:37.910 I know the CIBC closed down and I 0:07:36.080,0:07:40.100 believe the intent is to put up some 0:07:37.910,0:07:41.600 condo complexes there we have two condo 0:07:40.100,0:07:43.340 projects moving in and that's just the 0:07:41.600,0:07:45.410 beginning that's the thin edge of a very 0:07:43.340,0:07:46.820 thick wedge I think so yeah I think it's 0:07:45.410,0:07:49.220 a real issue for Parkdale is 0:07:46.820,0:07:51.139 gentrification Liberty Village is just 0:07:49.220,0:07:56.150 across Dufferin and it's moving in this 0:07:51.139,0:07:57.919 direction bloggers and today I'm in 0:07:56.150,0:08:06.139 Liberty Village one my favorite hood I'm 0:07:57.919,0:08:10.310 going to show you around Liberty Village 0:08:06.139,0:08:12.229 is kind of a created community it was a 0:08:10.310,0:08:14.389 lot of old warehouses in the 0:08:12.229,0:08:17.060 neighborhood that have slowly turned 0:08:14.389,0:08:18.620 into a huge condo development another 0:08:17.060,0:08:21.710 version of condo land 0:08:18.620,0:08:23.570 essentially it is not like single-family 0:08:21.710,0:08:24.789 homes it is not large apartment 0:08:23.570,0:08:27.680 buildings like it is a very 0:08:24.789,0:08:30.410 intentionally designed like professional 0:08:27.680,0:08:31.240 development that is designed in a way to 0:08:30.410,0:08:35.679 keep 0:08:31.240,0:08:38.580 people out brewpubs and bistros and that 0:08:35.679,0:08:41.890 kind of environment here 24-hour metro 0:08:38.580,0:08:43.659 expensive nail salons and waxing 0:08:41.890,0:08:45.220 facilities and here's the spot if you 0:08:43.659,0:08:47.500 want to get a mani-pedi on Sunday with 0:08:45.220,0:08:50.200 your bestie they wanted to make this a 0:08:47.500,0:08:53.620 Liberty Village West but it's not the 0:08:50.200,0:08:55.510 pretty village West it's Parkdale I want 0:08:53.620,0:08:57.760 to say like I see Liberty Village coming 0:08:55.510,0:09:00.160 to cocktail I see things being more 0:08:57.760,0:09:01.810 expensive I see more and more changes in 0:09:00.160,0:09:02.770 terms of identification and the types of 0:09:01.810,0:09:04.750 people that are moving into the 0:09:02.770,0:09:07.540 neighborhood that may not care about the 0:09:04.750,0:09:08.080 neighborhood as much as we'd like them 0:09:07.540,0:09:15.869 to 0:09:08.080,0:09:15.869 [Music] 0:09:17.480,0:09:21.930 for a lot of people in Toronto or even 0:09:20.579,0:09:24.870 people who heard about the rent strike 0:09:21.930,0:09:26.910 outside of Toronto it seems like it 0:09:24.870,0:09:28.740 started very suddenly that it was this 0:09:26.910,0:09:30.899 huge struggle of hundreds of 0:09:28.740,0:09:33.990 working-class tenants that just popped 0:09:30.899,0:09:36.420 out of thin air but the reality is that 0:09:33.990,0:09:38.550 it didn't pop out of thin air I have 0:09:36.420,0:09:41.190 seen fliers kind of going about either 0:09:38.550,0:09:42.870 on lamp posts or flyers in my building 0:09:41.190,0:09:44.910 or just kind of there's a bit of a buzz 0:09:42.870,0:09:47.670 just happening I wasn't sure exactly 0:09:44.910,0:09:49.380 what it was but I knew that I wanted to 0:09:47.670,0:09:51.180 learn more about it so I reached out to 0:09:49.380,0:09:52.829 Parkdale organized and then that's kind 0:09:51.180,0:09:54.540 of where the ball started rolling I 0:09:52.829,0:09:56.700 heard about Parkdale organized somebody 0:09:54.540,0:09:59.160 put a flyer on my door so that's how I 0:09:56.700,0:10:03.060 first got involved I mean colonisers 0:09:59.160,0:10:05.160 really you have done good job the group 0:10:03.060,0:10:07.950 Parkdale organized says they don't know 0:10:05.160,0:10:09.570 just yet what their next project will be 0:10:07.950,0:10:11.880 for now they're taking a much deserved 0:10:09.570,0:10:13.860 break after months of organizing 0:10:11.880,0:10:16.410 Parkdale organize is good with people 0:10:13.860,0:10:18.240 who have come together to organize in 0:10:16.410,0:10:20.220 our neighborhoods and people who are 0:10:18.240,0:10:21.930 hoping to build the working-class power 0:10:20.220,0:10:23.370 in the neighborhood so that we can take 0:10:21.930,0:10:25.890 control of the place that we live a 0:10:23.370,0:10:28.860 handful of people came together to try 0:10:25.890,0:10:30.300 and put an organization to the struggles 0:10:28.860,0:10:32.250 that people in the neighborhood had been 0:10:30.300,0:10:34.890 facing working-class people face a 0:10:32.250,0:10:36.839 myriad of individual struggles within 0:10:34.890,0:10:39.630 the neighborhood the idea was to 0:10:36.839,0:10:40.320 collectively through solidarity and 0:10:39.630,0:10:41.970 direct action 0:10:40.320,0:10:43.769 deal with those issues before the rent 0:10:41.970,0:10:47.519 strike Parkdale organized had been 0:10:43.769,0:10:49.399 around for fifty three four years and we 0:10:47.519,0:10:51.750 had been organizing building by building 0:10:49.399,0:10:52.990 knocking on doors with places where 0:10:51.750,0:10:56.530 people had been facing 0:10:52.990,0:10:58.870 French increases disrepair pest problem 0:10:56.530,0:11:00.730 and telling people that the thing that 0:10:58.870,0:11:02.680 they needed to do was get together with 0:11:00.730,0:11:05.500 their neighbors and confront their 0:11:02.680,0:11:09.250 landlord directly we had organized at 0:11:05.500,0:11:11.380 first slowly in a few buildings and it 0:11:09.250,0:11:11.920 was always a hard sell who are you 0:11:11.380,0:11:13.510 people 0:11:11.920,0:11:16.960 why are you knocking on my door what is 0:11:13.510,0:11:19.600 it that you want me to do and we started 0:11:16.960,0:11:22.120 to have successes initially struggles 0:11:19.600,0:11:24.250 around a major new player in the real 0:11:22.120,0:11:26.320 estate market achelous which is a real 0:11:24.250,0:11:28.480 estate fund based in Scandinavia that 0:11:26.320,0:11:31.090 bought up a bunch of buildings up and 0:11:28.480,0:11:32.860 down the boulevards in Parkdale tenants 0:11:31.090,0:11:34.720 at a park dale apartment building are 0:11:32.860,0:11:39.400 fighting back against their property 0:11:34.720,0:11:42.820 owner 188 Jameson the dreamer inside I 0:11:39.400,0:11:44.500 know people on 188 where some of my 0:11:42.820,0:11:46.360 relatives live also they had this 0:11:44.500,0:11:48.850 problem for a few months long before 0:11:46.360,0:11:51.250 other struggles that had kind of given a 0:11:48.850,0:11:52.930 bit broader conception of what it is 0:11:51.250,0:11:54.880 that working people struggle against in 0:11:52.930,0:11:56.980 this neighborhood was a worker initiated 0:11:54.880,0:11:58.870 strike over a food terminal two major 0:11:56.980,0:12:01.000 food hub the largest in southern Ontario 0:11:58.870,0:12:04.570 I think the largest in Ontario generally 0:12:01.000,0:12:06.640 that employs a lot of tenants in in 0:12:04.570,0:12:08.440 Parkdale they went on strike and people 0:12:06.640,0:12:11.020 from the neighbourhood supported them as 0:12:08.440,0:12:13.630 well once we had started getting those 0:12:11.020,0:12:15.340 successes are organizing became much 0:12:13.630,0:12:17.950 easier pitch when a bunch of people's 0:12:15.340,0:12:19.930 doors people had heard of us before we 0:12:17.950,0:12:21.760 started to be able to just buzz up to a 0:12:19.930,0:12:23.140 random unit in the building and say hey 0:12:21.760,0:12:24.610 we're from Parkdale organized you want 0:12:23.140,0:12:27.010 to come talk to you about something and 0:12:24.610,0:12:30.340 people would always invite us in those 0:12:27.010,0:12:31.990 campaigns started to put a different 0:12:30.340,0:12:33.670 idea out there within the neighbourhood 0:12:31.990,0:12:35.350 which was that the struggles that people 0:12:33.670,0:12:36.610 find themselves faced with not 0:12:35.350,0:12:37.680 individual struggles and don't need to 0:12:36.610,0:12:40.170 be dealt with individual 0:12:37.680,0:12:42.270 that organizing around those issues not 0:12:40.170,0:12:43.589 just protesting not just registering 0:12:42.270,0:12:45.210 dissent and not just complaining about 0:12:43.589,0:12:47.550 them but something that that could be 0:12:45.210,0:12:51.300 done so when this situation presented 0:12:47.550,0:12:54.180 itself when met cap ridiculously applied 0:12:51.300,0:12:55.589 for above guideline rent increases in 0:12:54.180,0:12:57.810 several buildings throughout the 0:12:55.589,0:13:00.839 neighborhood all at once this rent 0:12:57.810,0:13:04.170 strike it emerged from from all of that 0:13:00.839,0:13:07.470 previous organizing it for sure took the 0:13:04.170,0:13:09.630 actions of grade tenants in those 0:13:07.470,0:13:11.670 buildings but it had also taken a lot of 0:13:09.630,0:13:13.200 groundwork to get the neighborhood to a 0:13:11.670,0:13:15.800 point where it was ready for this type 0:13:13.200,0:13:15.800 of struggle 0:13:17.620,0:13:22.620 [Music] 0:13:19.230,0:13:24.270 my cap is one of two large landlords in 0:13:22.620,0:13:26.880 the neighborhood those being Metcalfe 0:13:24.270,0:13:29.040 and Vicki leus Brent Merrill is the CEO 0:13:26.880,0:13:31.200 now of Metcalfe 0:13:29.040,0:13:33.180 also directly owned some of the 0:13:31.200,0:13:36.750 buildings in the neighborhood he is a 0:13:33.180,0:13:38.730 greedy Pig he's not thinking about poor 0:13:36.750,0:13:42.590 people he think he and only but himself 0:13:38.730,0:13:46.440 if they increase in each and every other 0:13:42.590,0:13:49.470 rent then really we are facing problems 0:13:46.440,0:13:51.180 I've been here for three years and I've 0:13:49.470,0:13:53.790 gotten those rent increases year after 0:13:51.180,0:13:56.190 year a lot of the tenants that have been 0:13:53.790,0:13:58.560 here for a lot longer than I've been for 0:13:56.190,0:13:59.730 decades on top of it from the stories 0:13:58.560,0:14:01.550 that they've been telling they've been 0:13:59.730,0:14:04.290 going through those types of things for 0:14:01.550,0:14:06.060 years and years and years has always 0:14:04.290,0:14:09.090 been an above guideline rent increase 0:14:06.060,0:14:10.890 and above guideline rent increase is an 0:14:09.090,0:14:13.890 extra rent increased that landlords are 0:14:10.890,0:14:15.990 allowed to ask for on top of the annual 0:14:13.890,0:14:17.550 provincial guideline the Ontario 0:14:15.990,0:14:19.500 government says landlords are allowed a 0:14:17.550,0:14:21.180 certain amount and when the landlord has 0:14:19.500,0:14:23.580 done extra work in the building if they 0:14:21.180,0:14:25.260 have done some capital expenditures that 0:14:23.580,0:14:27.990 cost a lot of money they're allowed to 0:14:25.260,0:14:30.120 pass on these costs to the tenants to a 0:14:27.990,0:14:33.090 maximum of nine percent over three years 0:14:30.120,0:14:35.610 on top of a guideline amount so there's 0:14:33.090,0:14:37.320 the idea that things are can remain 0:14:35.610,0:14:39.420 affordable because of rent control is 0:14:37.320,0:14:42.690 actually quite a first one percent on 0:14:39.420,0:14:46.260 let's say a standard $1000 is about $10 0:14:42.690,0:14:48.960 right $15 to 1.5 percent whereas now 0:14:46.260,0:14:51.540 you're asking for four so $40 a month 0:14:48.960,0:14:53.910 it may sound trivial and the small runs 0:14:51.540,0:14:55.800 but you know for some of the people that 0:14:53.910,0:14:58.110 live in this area it's a lot of 0:14:55.800,0:14:59.760 blue-collar working-class people and a 0:14:58.110,0:15:01.680 lot of people that just came into the 0:14:59.760,0:15:03.930 country you know so some people have to 0:15:01.680,0:15:06.690 make decisions on whether they put that 0:15:03.930,0:15:09.060 extra money to rent or you know spend 0:15:06.690,0:15:10.980 that money on groceries or some other 0:15:09.060,0:15:14.910 people it's them staying in the building 0:15:10.980,0:15:17.130 or not it's not just kind of my personal 0:15:14.910,0:15:19.500 position in it it's knowing that an 0:15:17.130,0:15:21.210 entire neighborhood and my friends and 0:15:19.500,0:15:22.950 people that I would call family are 0:15:21.210,0:15:24.960 suffering along with me because they are 0:15:22.950,0:15:26.460 unable to pay their rent for these 0:15:24.960,0:15:28.470 unrealistic increase 0:15:26.460,0:15:30.420 people have tried to fight these above 0:15:28.470,0:15:31.980 guideline rent increases in the past but 0:15:30.420,0:15:33.930 they were never winning like the law was 0:15:31.980,0:15:36.120 not set up for tenants to win so they 0:15:33.930,0:15:38.790 had to come up with a new strategy if we 0:15:36.120,0:15:41.430 were going to kind of take on the law 0:15:38.790,0:15:43.890 and the landlord an opinion had started 0:15:41.430,0:15:44.640 to form in the neighborhood that we had 0:15:43.890,0:15:46.350 had enough 0:15:44.640,0:15:48.780 with the treatment that we had faced we 0:15:46.350,0:15:51.090 had had enough of our neighbors being 0:15:48.780,0:15:53.190 pushed out of our buildings one by one 0:15:51.090,0:15:55.200 month after month and then we were going 0:15:53.190,0:15:56.730 to do something about it and at the 0:15:55.200,0:15:58.890 something we were going to do about it 0:15:56.730,0:16:02.190 was going to involve direct action and 0:15:58.890,0:16:03.960 it was not going to be about advocacy it 0:16:02.190,0:16:05.280 was not going to be about lobbying it 0:16:03.960,0:16:07.140 was not going to be about raising 0:16:05.280,0:16:09.210 awareness because all of those avenues 0:16:07.140,0:16:10.590 had failed us rent strike was a tactic 0:16:09.210,0:16:12.660 that had been discussed by various 0:16:10.590,0:16:14.550 tenants doing various struggles up until 0:16:12.660,0:16:16.110 this point what a critical mass was kind 0:16:14.550,0:16:17.520 of achieved where enough people were 0:16:16.110,0:16:18.810 talking about it and the people felt 0:16:17.520,0:16:20.280 confident about the experiences that 0:16:18.810,0:16:27.480 they had already been through that they 0:16:20.280,0:16:30.840 were willing to take it on it started 0:16:27.480,0:16:33.630 with 87 Jameson steer the first ones to 0:16:30.840,0:16:36.240 go on rent strike we decide to hold back 0:16:33.630,0:16:38.580 the rent for a certain time and see how 0:16:36.240,0:16:41.520 he's gonna respond and he wasn't too 0:16:38.580,0:16:44.400 happy from that more conversation 0:16:41.520,0:16:46.260 started in different buildings around 87 0:16:44.400,0:16:49.170 Jameson liked on the same street in the 0:16:46.260,0:16:50.880 same neighborhood to talk about if there 0:16:49.170,0:16:52.350 was more people involved in this rent 0:16:50.880,0:16:54.510 strike if there was more people talking 0:16:52.350,0:16:56.070 to each other and organizing then we can 0:16:54.510,0:16:58.260 be a lot more effective and taking on 0:16:56.070,0:17:00.320 the landlord 87 Jameson have early 0:16:58.260,0:17:03.390 hauled off their rent strike and 0:17:00.320,0:17:05.520 initially tenants from that building and 0:17:03.390,0:17:07.980 members from Parkdale organize set out 0:17:05.520,0:17:08.520 to to make contact with other tenants in 0:17:07.980,0:17:10.439 other 0:17:08.520,0:17:12.660 I think the other buildings came on 0:17:10.439,0:17:15.000 board because we had people coming 0:17:12.660,0:17:17.250 organizing Lobby meetings learning what 0:17:15.000,0:17:19.500 they've been going through and how what 0:17:17.250,0:17:21.300 they were suffering through listen to 0:17:19.500,0:17:22.890 what I've been going through in my own 0:17:21.300,0:17:24.510 building or same thing that I'd seen 0:17:22.890,0:17:26.819 other neighbors go through as well just 0:17:24.510,0:17:28.740 the unresponsiveness from that cab for 0:17:26.819,0:17:31.679 me personally it was a pest control 0:17:28.740,0:17:34.679 issue and the lack of follow-up by met 0:17:31.679,0:17:36.300 cap in terms of cockroaches and mice I 0:17:34.679,0:17:38.340 joined the rent strike because of just 0:17:36.300,0:17:40.170 the way madcap treats people they took 0:17:38.340,0:17:41.400 you like a second-class citizen and I I 0:17:40.170,0:17:43.110 just thought it was time for a 0:17:41.400,0:17:44.910 correction in attitude I was happy to 0:17:43.110,0:17:47.160 join the rent strike and the fact that 0:17:44.910,0:17:49.650 there's a fantastic community I want to 0:17:47.160,0:17:51.750 organize I was just like it's time in 0:17:49.650,0:17:53.700 March we went to met caps corporate head 0:17:51.750,0:17:56.040 office on Richmond Street I think it was 0:17:53.700,0:17:57.900 about 70 or 80 of us that went down to 0:17:56.040,0:17:59.610 landlord's office all together they 0:17:57.900,0:18:01.410 locked us out they wouldn't take our 0:17:59.610,0:18:21.480 repair request they phoned the police 0:18:01.410,0:18:23.309 they told us we were trespassing we 0:18:21.480,0:18:25.170 managed to get up to their front door 0:18:23.309,0:18:27.000 and they they were behind the glass 0:18:25.170,0:18:28.559 laughing at us that's how they viewed us 0:18:27.000,0:18:30.929 it's not the first time they've been 0:18:28.559,0:18:32.610 protested and they thought this was 0:18:30.929,0:18:34.950 another flashing pan it would just go 0:18:32.610,0:18:37.110 away at this time it didn't go away so 0:18:34.950,0:18:39.270 tenants in this neighborhood are used to 0:18:37.110,0:18:40.770 having meetings in their Lobby so we 0:18:39.270,0:18:42.690 just had a meeting in the landlord's 0:18:40.770,0:18:44.940 Lobby to talk about like this was really 0:18:42.690,0:18:46.350 disrespectful the landlord doesn't even 0:18:44.940,0:18:47.880 want to speak to their own tenants 0:18:46.350,0:18:51.000 they're not addressing issues they're 0:18:47.880,0:18:52.740 legally required to address let's let's 0:18:51.000,0:18:55.260 let's talk about doing a rent strike in 0:18:52.740,0:18:57.750 the neighborhood meet decide on what the 0:18:55.260,0:19:00.549 next steps are providing these rent 0:18:57.750,0:19:02.710 increases and forgetting the units 0:19:00.549,0:19:04.990 we came here today to Trevor appeal to 0:19:02.710,0:19:07.210 them as people and they wouldn't even 0:19:04.990,0:19:09.400 address us so clearly the only thing 0:19:07.210,0:19:10.720 that matters is money so that's probably 0:19:09.400,0:19:12.520 the direction we're gonna have to go 0:19:10.720,0:19:14.500 there's a God to do something you got to 0:19:12.520,0:19:16.950 stop because they are indifferent to us 0:19:14.500,0:19:20.260 they are disrespectful they are 0:19:16.950,0:19:23.289 disregarding our concern so we got to go 0:19:20.260,0:19:26.230 on land right a ranch site so we came 0:19:23.289,0:19:28.659 back tried to think of next steps the 0:19:26.230,0:19:30.400 next test was to follow the same line 0:19:28.659,0:19:33.610 that 87 was on and go on to rhetoric 0:19:30.400,0:19:36.309 that was a process that involves lots of 0:19:33.610,0:19:39.309 door knocking lots of Lobby meetings 0:19:36.309,0:19:43.650 mass meetings as well as escalating 0:19:39.309,0:19:50.980 actions of engagement against my cat and 0:19:43.650,0:19:54.760 the rest is sort of history now let's 0:19:50.980,0:19:59.500 all go to the lobby let's all go to the 0:19:54.760,0:20:02.110 lobby let's all go to the lobby to get 0:19:59.500,0:20:04.059 ourselves a treat the lobby meetings 0:20:02.110,0:20:06.789 were organized I believe by Parkdale 0:20:04.059,0:20:09.010 organized a few people would show up and 0:20:06.789,0:20:10.809 talk to us about what the living 0:20:09.010,0:20:13.270 conditions were like and about the rent 0:20:10.809,0:20:15.280 increases we were facing and that way we 0:20:13.270,0:20:17.919 started to get to know one another and 0:20:15.280,0:20:19.330 sort of explore what was happening and 0:20:17.919,0:20:21.070 what we could do about it 0:20:19.330,0:20:23.799 I think Lobby meetings help the good yet 0:20:21.070,0:20:25.299 time to get opinions from different 0:20:23.799,0:20:28.090 people different and learn how to 0:20:25.299,0:20:29.350 strategize the lobby meeting this is 0:20:28.090,0:20:32.169 exactly what it sounds like they are 0:20:29.350,0:20:34.179 among the only public spaces in our 0:20:32.169,0:20:35.860 buildings where more than four people 0:20:34.179,0:20:38.260 can get 0:20:35.860,0:20:39.549 and discuss anything so a lot of times 0:20:38.260,0:20:41.470 at the building level that's where the 0:20:39.549,0:20:43.899 meetings take place unreal 0:20:41.470,0:20:46.450 talk about what's going on and what our 0:20:43.899,0:20:48.490 next step on what we plan to do so you 0:20:46.450,0:20:50.710 could keep anything and it will be very 0:20:48.490,0:20:52.690 often they took myself just going around 0:20:50.710,0:20:55.000 the building letting people know when 0:20:52.690,0:20:56.140 the next Lobby meeting will be you go 0:20:55.000,0:20:57.669 around door to door you knock on 0:20:56.140,0:20:59.110 people's doors you have conversations 0:20:57.669,0:21:01.269 but what's been going on with those 0:20:59.110,0:21:03.909 people what it is that they think about 0:21:01.269,0:21:05.409 it and you set a date for for a number 0:21:03.909,0:21:06.909 of people to get together from that 0:21:05.409,0:21:08.500 building and discuss what it is that 0:21:06.909,0:21:10.120 they're gonna do about it you know 0:21:08.500,0:21:12.220 obviously when they first started a lot 0:21:10.120,0:21:14.139 of people were very skeptical like what 0:21:12.220,0:21:15.700 is this they can be chaotic sometimes 0:21:14.139,0:21:16.990 it's part Dale there's a lot of 0:21:15.700,0:21:19.419 characters and everybody has something 0:21:16.990,0:21:21.100 to say to me it struck me as being a 0:21:19.419,0:21:22.269 little bit disorganized at first but I 0:21:21.100,0:21:24.580 thought this is worth getting involved 0:21:22.269,0:21:26.590 in it's become more commonplace for 0:21:24.580,0:21:28.450 people in the neighborhood meeting 0:21:26.590,0:21:29.889 people starts to know our face so people 0:21:28.450,0:21:31.269 are automatically in the building start 0:21:29.889,0:21:33.130 stopping and start saying hey what's 0:21:31.269,0:21:34.690 going on with this will you know what's 0:21:33.130,0:21:37.029 the update what's the word it made me 0:21:34.690,0:21:39.880 feel I had support going door to door 0:21:37.029,0:21:41.860 and putting out flyers to let people 0:21:39.880,0:21:45.220 know what we're all about what we're 0:21:41.860,0:21:47.169 hoping to gain by the rent strike our 0:21:45.220,0:21:49.090 Lobby meeting was just a good a good way 0:21:47.169,0:21:50.860 to get our neighbors connected and get 0:21:49.090,0:21:51.940 them informed and make sure that they 0:21:50.860,0:21:54.039 knew that they weren't alone in the 0:21:51.940,0:21:56.320 situation some decisions get made their 0:21:54.039,0:21:58.149 tops are giving up and then and then 0:21:56.320,0:21:59.919 those tasks are carried out and then you 0:21:58.149,0:22:01.779 have another Lobby meeting to go over 0:21:59.919,0:22:04.389 what's taking place and make further 0:22:01.779,0:22:06.760 decisions talking to each other trying 0:22:04.389,0:22:08.139 to get a consensus important thing is 0:22:06.760,0:22:10.980 this every can and get involved 0:22:08.139,0:22:10.980 inclusive nest 0:22:11.720,0:22:17.540 [Music] 0:22:14.710,0:22:19.790 one of the things I enjoyed the most was 0:22:17.540,0:22:22.160 the march through Parkdale lots of 0:22:19.790,0:22:24.500 support horn honking and people waving 0:22:22.160,0:22:26.390 at us the march through Parkdale which a 0:22:24.500,0:22:28.190 huge amount of people showed up for the 0:22:26.390,0:22:29.810 day we marched meeting in front of the 0:22:28.190,0:22:32.930 library and staying there with a few of 0:22:29.810,0:22:35.390 my friends and taking up space and being 0:22:32.930,0:22:37.940 loud and unapologetic about the fact 0:22:35.390,0:22:40.670 that we weren't going to tolerate that 0:22:37.940,0:22:43.040 cat's behavior any longer and getting 0:22:40.670,0:22:45.110 out into the community and just like 0:22:43.040,0:22:47.180 marching around and just picking up 0:22:45.110,0:22:48.860 people as we went along there were so 0:22:47.180,0:22:51.020 many actions it kind of took on a life 0:22:48.860,0:23:00.590 of his own at protesting one of the 0:22:51.020,0:23:02.750 owners in Forest Hill this morning a few 0:23:00.590,0:23:05.150 dozen tenants they boarded a yellow 0:23:02.750,0:23:06.920 school bus and took the protest right to 0:23:05.150,0:23:28.130 the front doorstep of one of the 0:23:06.920,0:23:29.900 property owners going to the tribunal 0:23:28.130,0:23:34.430 and everyone showing up there inside 0:23:29.900,0:23:36.290 court we almost nearly hundred people it 0:23:34.430,0:23:38.270 was a raucous start at the landlord and 0:23:36.290,0:23:40.820 tenant tribunal hearing young and st. 0:23:38.270,0:23:43.070 clair protesters delay the hearing by 0:23:40.820,0:23:44.690 more than an hour calling for Metcalfe 0:23:43.070,0:23:46.190 to give in to their demands 0:23:44.690,0:23:48.740 it was the incident when they tried to 0:23:46.190,0:23:51.080 run somebody over the truck incident was 0:23:48.740,0:23:53.450 friend Merrill a protest in June saw 0:23:51.080,0:23:55.700 Metcalfe CEO Brent Merrill narrowly 0:23:53.450,0:23:56.540 avoid hitting a protestor outside one of 0:23:55.700,0:23:58.340 his bill 0:23:56.540,0:23:59.720 having seen the video now I don't know 0:23:58.340,0:24:01.430 what it would happen if if I had gone 0:23:59.720,0:24:02.690 under the car as it goes off to the side 0:24:01.430,0:24:05.930 I really thought at some point he would 0:24:02.690,0:24:08.060 slow down it was really shocking really 0:24:05.930,0:24:10.490 shocking you always expect the worst for 0:24:08.060,0:24:12.260 Metcalfe that just blew me away I mean 0:24:10.490,0:24:15.980 that was just they just took the cake 0:24:12.260,0:24:19.520 that day they had messed up in a massive 0:24:15.980,0:24:23.450 way thankfully Kevin was all right but 0:24:19.520,0:24:24.620 in that moment I just like got them you 0:24:23.450,0:24:25.970 know I don't want to make this the 0:24:24.620,0:24:27.560 centerpiece of what's going on today I 0:24:25.970,0:24:29.120 think that what needs to happen is that 0:24:27.560,0:24:31.040 they need to recognize that this 0:24:29.120,0:24:33.590 community is not backing down we're not 0:24:31.040,0:24:36.500 leaving not the one force in all the 0:24:33.590,0:24:38.180 building not one force everybody that's 0:24:36.500,0:24:40.370 the highlight more than anything that 0:24:38.180,0:24:44.300 the collective will and the collective 0:24:40.370,0:24:48.500 strength was being fully accessed in 0:24:44.300,0:24:50.720 order to carry this out and that was a 0:24:48.500,0:24:58.070 hell of a thing to watch and participate 0:24:50.720,0:25:00.770 on my favorite part of the rent strike 0:24:58.070,0:25:02.990 was the way that it seeped into our 0:25:00.770,0:25:04.910 everyday lives he didn't feel as alone 0:25:02.990,0:25:08.570 in the building as you may have before 0:25:04.910,0:25:10.730 or you knew who was kind of fighting 0:25:08.570,0:25:12.170 with you I think it has been like such a 0:25:10.730,0:25:14.720 positive thing for the neighborhood 0:25:12.170,0:25:16.970 thing I think neighbors are now way more 0:25:14.720,0:25:18.290 open to having conversations for a lot 0:25:16.970,0:25:19.760 of us you know I didn't really talk to a 0:25:18.290,0:25:22.670 lot of people in my building before this 0:25:19.760,0:25:24.680 and now it's sort of it brought people 0:25:22.670,0:25:26.750 together I started running into people 0:25:24.680,0:25:31.190 on the street that would say hello to me 0:25:26.750,0:25:33.980 and I asked about the rent strike and it 0:25:31.190,0:25:35.480 just made for a much closer community 0:25:33.980,0:25:37.760 yeah I just helped build a community 0:25:35.480,0:25:41.030 quite a bit I feel like even those who 0:25:37.760,0:25:42.830 are not living in madcap tenants were 0:25:41.030,0:25:45.440 asking what's going on with madcap 0:25:42.830,0:25:48.290 what's happening now what the decision 0:25:45.440,0:25:50.300 it got pretty normal that there would be 0:25:48.290,0:25:51.440 an impromptu meeting in the produce 0:25:50.300,0:25:55.220 section of the no-frills 0:25:51.440,0:25:57.320 and it was those those moments that they 0:25:55.220,0:25:59.870 were honestly beautiful for me because 0:25:57.320,0:26:02.690 so often politics are 0:25:59.870,0:26:05.150 just wiped from from our daily lives and 0:26:02.690,0:26:07.490 you know people might go to a protest on 0:26:05.150,0:26:09.320 a Saturday you know somewhere that's 0:26:07.490,0:26:12.620 like half an hour transit ride from the 0:26:09.320,0:26:15.590 house but this reality of not being able 0:26:12.620,0:26:17.120 to stand on my balcony not being able to 0:26:15.590,0:26:19.790 go out on the street without meeting 0:26:17.120,0:26:21.380 someone who was in this struggle with me 0:26:19.790,0:26:23.780 who had been thinking about it all day 0:26:21.380,0:26:25.640 just like me who was worrying about it 0:26:23.780,0:26:27.470 who was making plans and really that 0:26:25.640,0:26:30.350 feeling that we were in this together 0:26:27.470,0:26:32.630 it was the only time in my life when I 0:26:30.350,0:26:35.570 had really felt that level of 0:26:32.630,0:26:37.460 camaraderie with the people who I lived 0:26:35.570,0:26:41.890 with the people I was surrounded by and 0:26:37.460,0:26:45.110 it just added this wait this this 0:26:41.890,0:26:47.090 content to both our daily lives and the 0:26:45.110,0:26:48.920 struggle you know we were all at home 0:26:47.090,0:26:50.660 thinking oh my goodness what's the next 0:26:48.920,0:26:52.700 thing I can do what else can I do to 0:26:50.660,0:26:55.130 help us win because the stakes were so 0:26:52.700,0:26:58.100 high it was so real and people are 0:26:55.130,0:26:59.510 really curious about what's going on and 0:26:58.100,0:27:01.220 are kind of really hopeful because they 0:26:59.510,0:27:02.990 see that the tenants are like making 0:27:01.220,0:27:04.520 some really huge wins and like wondering 0:27:02.990,0:27:05.660 like well how can we do this in our 0:27:04.520,0:27:09.170 building like how can we get involved 0:27:05.660,0:27:11.390 people wants to do something and they 0:27:09.170,0:27:13.130 like what is happening being the 0:27:11.390,0:27:15.110 different people that sort of jumped on 0:27:13.130,0:27:17.420 board along with us social support so 0:27:15.110,0:27:19.070 you know Queen Victoria all the teachers 0:27:17.420,0:27:20.990 there stood out on the block and made a 0:27:19.070,0:27:23.420 lot of noise on the corner of King and 0:27:20.990,0:27:25.880 the Jameson which is really amazing to 0:27:23.420,0:27:27.920 see it hundreds of residents here in 0:27:25.880,0:27:31.070 Parkdale are heading into their second 0:27:27.920,0:27:34.130 month refusing to pay rent in protest of 0:27:31.070,0:27:35.750 rent hikes here in Parkdale and now 0:27:34.130,0:27:38.420 they're getting the support of some 0:27:35.750,0:27:39.860 unlikely allies in the heart of South 0:27:38.420,0:27:43.690 Park dale right at the corner of King 0:27:39.860,0:27:46.190 and Jameson is a huge elementary school 0:27:43.690,0:27:47.120 so many of the kids from South Park Dale 0:27:46.190,0:27:49.100 go to that school 0:27:47.120,0:27:51.770 the Parkdale elementary school is 0:27:49.100,0:27:54.200 surrounded by 19 buildings owned by 0:27:51.770,0:27:56.179 Metcalf living five of them are facing 0:27:54.200,0:27:59.350 rent increases above the provincial 0:27:56.179,0:28:01.460 maximum conditions of poverty of 0:27:59.350,0:28:04.980 displacement those are things that are 0:28:01.460,0:28:07.380 felt most strongly by children 0:28:04.980,0:28:08.880 and the teachers in the schools are very 0:28:07.380,0:28:10.799 aware of that they see it in their 0:28:08.880,0:28:12.659 students every day they see when they're 0:28:10.799,0:28:14.880 tired they see when they're hungry they 0:28:12.659,0:28:16.169 see when they have bed bug bites or when 0:28:14.880,0:28:17.850 they're afraid that their parents are 0:28:16.169,0:28:19.470 going to lose their home they see it 0:28:17.850,0:28:20.639 when the students don't show up at the 0:28:19.470,0:28:22.350 next school year because they've been 0:28:20.639,0:28:23.760 displaced from our neighborhood you know 0:28:22.350,0:28:26.909 there were teachers at Parkdale 0:28:23.760,0:28:29.190 elementary who tried to take action when 0:28:26.909,0:28:30.899 Roma students were being deported on 0:28:29.190,0:28:33.299 mass from the neighborhood there were 0:28:30.899,0:28:35.010 you know teachers who have talked about 0:28:33.299,0:28:36.149 the conditions at the school who have 0:28:35.010,0:28:38.190 talked about conditions in the 0:28:36.149,0:28:40.559 neighborhood but it's always a problem 0:28:38.190,0:28:43.950 when those actions take the form of just 0:28:40.559,0:28:46.679 advocacy or raising awareness often the 0:28:43.950,0:28:50.029 worst conditions that that we face are 0:28:46.679,0:28:52.710 things that are very legal but are wrong 0:28:50.029,0:28:54.419 these above guideline rent increases 0:28:52.710,0:28:58.289 that have been displaced in our 0:28:54.419,0:29:01.409 neighbors are absolutely legal and what 0:28:58.289,0:29:03.210 was so amazing about the support that we 0:29:01.409,0:29:06.299 had from teachers in the neighborhood 0:29:03.210,0:29:09.419 was they've seen how this legal regime 0:29:06.299,0:29:12.630 of above guideline rent increases has 0:29:09.419,0:29:14.940 stripped our our neighborhood of its 0:29:12.630,0:29:17.149 working class qualities has forced 0:29:14.940,0:29:21.029 working-class people out of Parkdale and 0:29:17.149,0:29:23.750 they were willing in fact enthusiastic 0:29:21.029,0:29:26.039 about the opportunity to support 0:29:23.750,0:29:28.169 working-class people the parents of 0:29:26.039,0:29:30.419 their students in their formation of 0:29:28.169,0:29:32.610 working-class organizations that were 0:29:30.419,0:29:34.139 capable of taking on the things that are 0:29:32.610,0:29:36.480 legal but wrong 0:29:34.139,0:29:38.940 I'm in Parkdale we're striking tenants 0:29:36.480,0:29:41.250 are putting away their protest signs and 0:29:38.940,0:29:43.740 banners now that a three month rent 0:29:41.250,0:29:45.870 strike has ended with a negotiated 0:29:43.740,0:29:48.299 agreement with the landlord working 0:29:45.870,0:29:51.360 class people sat down across the table 0:29:48.299,0:29:53.730 from people that represented hundreds of 0:29:51.360,0:29:55.620 millions of dollars in capital and 0:29:53.730,0:29:57.899 didn't budge I was there for the 0:29:55.620,0:30:01.289 negotiation process and that cap came 0:29:57.899,0:30:02.320 and they had various employees from 0:30:01.289,0:30:04.330 Metcalf 0:30:02.320,0:30:07.390 when their main investor showed up I 0:30:04.330,0:30:09.970 think our tenon team really walked well 0:30:07.390,0:30:12.610 we had discussions and meeting before 0:30:09.970,0:30:16.980 the negotiations and we we knew what 0:30:12.610,0:30:19.690 they were up to and we knew our demand 0:30:16.980,0:30:21.790 usually had one or two representatives 0:30:19.690,0:30:24.490 from each building who'd been involved 0:30:21.790,0:30:26.410 in the rent strike all along each of the 0:30:24.490,0:30:27.790 main buildings that were participating 0:30:26.410,0:30:29.290 in the rent strike had a couple of 0:30:27.790,0:30:31.660 building representatives that kind of 0:30:29.290,0:30:33.760 spread information to the rest of their 0:30:31.660,0:30:34.930 pens in their building as well as speak 0:30:33.760,0:30:36.640 to all of the tenants in the building to 0:30:34.930,0:30:38.560 see what people wanted to do moving 0:30:36.640,0:30:41.320 forward the height there were close to 0:30:38.560,0:30:43.930 300 people on the rent strike and the 0:30:41.320,0:30:45.970 people at the bargaining table were 0:30:43.930,0:30:48.010 about 20 of us we went in there with 0:30:45.970,0:30:50.560 very very firm demands we had to 0:30:48.010,0:30:52.750 negotiate courts were not professional 0:30:50.560,0:30:54.220 negotiators so it was quite a learning 0:30:52.750,0:30:56.260 experience for sure 0:30:54.220,0:30:57.550 so Parkdale Community Legal Services 0:30:56.260,0:30:59.260 worked with those building 0:30:57.550,0:31:01.540 representatives through negotiations 0:30:59.260,0:31:03.400 with the landlord and the investment 0:31:01.540,0:31:05.650 person all in all the negotiation 0:31:03.400,0:31:07.300 process of it really really well and it 0:31:05.650,0:31:09.250 was a very good deal for Parkdale I 0:31:07.300,0:31:11.470 would definitely consider this a win I 0:31:09.250,0:31:13.300 think the tenants are really going to 0:31:11.470,0:31:16.440 want to talk about what the winners were 0:31:13.300,0:31:19.420 from the from these negotiations 0:31:16.440,0:31:21.760 unfortunately the details are 0:31:19.420,0:31:25.540 confidential the numbers are good so 0:31:21.760,0:31:26.430 good that Metcalfe has required a gag 0:31:25.540,0:31:28.410 order on 0:31:26.430,0:31:31.080 the actual specific numbers I would say 0:31:28.410,0:31:32.760 that we won yes and there's a lot of 0:31:31.080,0:31:34.320 people with smiles on their faces in 0:31:32.760,0:31:37.860 Parkdale I think the biggest and most 0:31:34.320,0:31:39.660 important result of the red strike is 0:31:37.860,0:31:42.840 that the Rennes strike has been 0:31:39.660,0:31:46.920 recognized by those that carried it out 0:31:42.840,0:31:48.450 as a tactic not an end in and of itself 0:31:46.920,0:31:52.250 and a tactic that's employed by 0:31:48.450,0:31:54.810 organizing by organizations that are 0:31:52.250,0:31:57.150 developed by working-class people there 0:31:54.810,0:31:59.040 is a shift socially and politically 0:31:57.150,0:32:01.050 underway within this neighborhood and 0:31:59.040,0:32:02.930 hopefully hopefully outside of the 0:32:01.050,0:32:05.700 neighborhood as well which is that 0:32:02.930,0:32:08.130 people are capable of doing things that 0:32:05.700,0:32:10.410 they are otherwise told by legal 0:32:08.130,0:32:12.750 convention and economic mandate that 0:32:10.410,0:32:15.180 they cannot do cheers at a park dale 0:32:12.750,0:32:17.880 building as residents mark the end of a 0:32:15.180,0:32:20.010 long battle sadly there's no shortage of 0:32:17.880,0:32:22.140 things for us to organize around so the 0:32:20.010,0:32:24.000 lesson that people should take is not 0:32:22.140,0:32:26.160 that they should move to a few other 0:32:24.000,0:32:27.960 neighborhoods in cariocans activity and 0:32:26.160,0:32:29.730 other neighborhoods should carry on this 0:32:27.960,0:32:31.290 activity different types of problems are 0:32:29.730,0:32:33.120 there each and every losing 0:32:31.290,0:32:34.950 gentrification is happening all over the 0:32:33.120,0:32:36.630 city it's not just in Parkdale so I 0:32:34.950,0:32:38.610 think it's important that people get the 0:32:36.630,0:32:40.320 message that when you stick together we 0:32:38.610,0:32:42.330 have a lot more power as a group than we 0:32:40.320,0:32:43.200 do as individuals I would suggest that 0:32:42.330,0:32:46.320 anyone 0:32:43.200,0:32:48.810 hi rent increases to get together with 0:32:46.320,0:32:50.790 their neighbors don't go alone you know 0:32:48.810,0:32:53.070 get your neighbors involved he organized 0:32:50.790,0:32:55.140 go as one which caused a unified front 0:32:53.070,0:32:56.790 get organized meet with people in your 0:32:55.140,0:32:58.140 building meet with people outside your 0:32:56.790,0:32:59.790 building you're more powerful than you 0:32:58.140,0:33:02.600 think a lot of people are really 0:32:59.790,0:33:05.820 skeptical I mean I remember back in 0:33:02.600,0:33:07.320 March and even an April we're starting 0:33:05.820,0:33:09.330 to organize the rent strike like even 0:33:07.320,0:33:11.160 some of the main organizers now we're 0:33:09.330,0:33:11.970 like you guys are nuts like this is 0:33:11.160,0:33:14.040 never going to work 0:33:11.970,0:33:15.480 everyone's they get evicted nobody in 0:33:14.040,0:33:17.250 this building wanted to get involved I 0:33:15.480,0:33:19.140 was the only person some people told me 0:33:17.250,0:33:21.630 don't watch the boat it doesn't affect 0:33:19.140,0:33:22.980 us but now that the rent strikes over 0:33:21.630,0:33:25.320 and the negotiations 0:33:22.980,0:33:27.690 everybody was everybody just cheering 0:33:25.320,0:33:29.730 this on right this is the greatest thing 0:33:27.690,0:33:32.370 since sliced bread some people are still 0:33:29.730,0:33:35.010 calling us iMac so some other and strike 0:33:32.370,0:33:37.920 like that Oh y'all did a great job when 0:33:35.010,0:33:41.490 y'all get started how y'all do this how 0:33:37.920,0:33:45.240 y'all do that you make you feel good but 0:33:41.490,0:33:46.440 the nation a difference I'm happy we 0:33:45.240,0:33:51.560 work out very well 0:33:46.440,0:33:54.590 I'm emboldened by this right people 0:33:51.560,0:33:56.510 now even if something that happens next 0:33:54.590,0:33:58.820 I'm having more people with joint 0:33:56.510,0:34:01.610 because you had that piece of big thing 0:33:58.820,0:34:03.920 there's power in numbers and we had a 0:34:01.610,0:34:05.150 loud voice in our voice with hurt that's 0:34:03.920,0:34:07.970 what people in the neighborhood have 0:34:05.150,0:34:11.870 learned from this experience is that 0:34:07.970,0:34:14.960 while there are individual working-class 0:34:11.870,0:34:17.150 people that are commendable the strength 0:34:14.960,0:34:18.920 and authority that is latent within the 0:34:17.150,0:34:21.199 working class which annually is 0:34:18.920,0:34:22.969 something that no other social force can 0:34:21.199,0:34:24.980 actually touch and it just has to be 0:34:22.969,0:34:27.469 organized and that organization takes a 0:34:24.980,0:34:29.510 lot of work the lesson to take is do the 0:34:27.469,0:34:32.300 work do the organizing carry out the 0:34:29.510,0:34:34.659 action win the day and prepare for the 0:34:32.300,0:34:34.659 next day 0:34:36.880,0:35:01.179 [Music] 0:34:56.110,0:35:01.179 [Laughter]