Rhode Island
Atlantic Mills tenants form first commercial tenants union in Rhode Island | ABC6
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Tenants of Atlantic Mills announced they had formed the “first commercial tenants union in Rhode Island” on Dec. 21.
The Atlantic Mills Tenants Union was established as an affiliate as a chapter of the Rhode Island Tenants Union, and called for the mill’s current owners, The Howard and Eleanor Brynes Trust, and potential future owners, Robert Berle and Eric Edelman, to “come to the negotiating table in good faith to collectively bargain.”
The union also listed its demands from the owners, which included a 99 year lease term, immediate rent stabilization, and an eviction moratorium that began Dec. 21 and extends until “a collectively bargained agreement can be reached.”
First commercial tenant union in the state! pic.twitter.com/RqNDo3FPYZ
— Olneyville Neighborhood Association (ONA) (@OnaProvidence) December 22, 2024
A response deadline of Dec. 30 was also given.
“The future of Olneyville is at a crossroads,” Olneyville Neighborhood Association Board Chair Cindy Miranda said. “That is why we have taken this historic step and formed the first commercial tenants union in Rhode Island. Our stories, our livelihoods, and our futures are at stake.”