:Yi e Strtau BEat / Vol. LXXX, No. ] Ann Arbor, Michigan-Wednesday, August 27, 1969 Ten Pages v / S TUDENT LIFE 0 . Rent strike takes hold in Ann Arbor Mayor Robert Harris: A victory for students? By JUDY SARASOHN INCENSED BY the high price and "unsafe living condi- tions" of Ann Arbor housing, over 1000 students have or- ganized a Tenants Union and are withholding more than $100,000 in rent payments in what has become one of the largest rent strikes in U.S. history. And with favorable court decisions, widespread public- ity, financial support from the United Auto Workers and endorsements from many city officials, the strike appears to be gaining momentum. The major goal of the strike is to gain formal recogni- tion for the Tenants Union as the collective bargaining agent for local tenants. The union is also demanding significant reductions in rent, elimination of damage deposits-which the union claims are often not returned-elimination of advance pay- ment of the last month's rent, and immediate handling of complaints. TrHE LAST point is one of the main reasons given by strik- ers for initiating the strike. The Department of Build- ing and Safety is presently overburdened with charges of building code violations. Many tenants have serious com- plaints of overflowing garbage, broken or incomplete tiling in bathrooms, broken down stairways, and no fire escapes. The major thrust of the strike is aimed at the tight- knit association of several local management firms, the Ann Arbor Property Managers' Association. The Tenants Union claims the association has "tight control over the housing market." The landlords being struck are Ann Arbor Trust Co., Apartments Limited; Arbor Management; B.M.R.; Campus Management, Inc.; Charter Realty; Dahlmann Apartments; Misco Management Service; Patrick Pulte, Inc.; Post Realty and Investment Co.; Summit Associates; Walden Management Co.; and Wilson-White, Inc. Apart- ments owned by these firms house an estimated 6,000 students. IN ADDITION to the strike against these major realty firms, some students are withholding rent from landlords with lesser holdings in sympathy with the Tenants Union. Tenants began organizing last December by securing assurances from students that they would withhold rent when the strike began. On Feb. 15, after a poll of the 1,500 students who had signed pledges, the Tenants Union began the strike. Instead of paying rent as usual, the strikers paid their money into an escrow, fund set up by the Tenants Union. Back in January, it would be safe to say that everyone except for a few idealistic, completely frustrated students were skeptical of a successful rent strike. EVEN WHEN students joined the union and signed pledges to withhold rent, the landlords refused to believe the strike would materialize. And when the strike did begin, the landlords said, as was to be expected, that they will never recognize the Tenants Union. "It's ridiculous,"said Patrick Pulte, head of one of the firms. "I don't know of any management company in the country that would recognize a tenants union." Kenneth Barnhill, manager of Apartments Limited, also refused to recognize the union as the bargaining agent for Ann Arbor tenants. "Until this small minority of activists (the Tenants Union) can prove they can help me more effectively oper- ate my business and provide better services to my tenants and owners, I will continue a policy of nonrecognition," he said. Rent strike steering - committee members were, un- daunted, however. "The Tenants Union doesn't exist to serve the interests of th6 landlords, but of the tenants," said a steering committee member. And now, the pressure on the realty firms to recognize the Tenants Union appears to be mounting. AT THE BEGINNING of the strike, most landlords main- tained an air of indifference. But there were a number of reports of landlords turning off heat, towing away cars, making phone calls to parents and threatening tenants with eviction in the middle of exam week. See TENANTS, Page 2 Tenants Union: Pushing for bargaining rights Studen t vo tng power Iiberali'zes city hal Sheriff Douglas Harvey: 'One dumb cop' By NADINE COHOpAS WHEN THE DEMOCRATS swept the city elections last April, taking control of the government for the first time in Ann Arbor history, one disappointed Republi- can blamed his party's defeat on the stu- dent vote.. Indeed more students turned out for this election than ever before, but they clearly do not form the majority of Ann Arbor vot- ers. Many long - time residents clearly wanted a change in municipal government as evidenced by the election of two Demo- cratic councilmen from traditionally Re- publican wards. Nonetheless the student vote appeared to give t h e Democrats at least their margin of victory. The Democratic sweep - which elected liberal Robert Harris, a law professor at the University, as mayor, and four Demo- cratic councilmen - gave the party an 8-3 majority on City Council. AND ALTHOUGH Harris has emphasized developing programs to help lower-in- come residents, both he and council have also demonstrated a willingness to d e a l with important matters concerning Uni- versity students. The Democrats' acknowledgement of student needs is most clearly exemplified- by council's recent action to approve suit- able arrangements for the Sunday after- noon summer rock concerts which the Re- publican council had banned in July, 1968. Before last summer, the concerts had al- wavs hen held in the citv's West Park, a And on May 17 council h e 1 d a special session to reinstate the events if park per- mits are obtained from the city park di- rector each week. Since then, the city has made further ar,- rangements with concert sponsors to ro- tate the events each w e e k to different parks. The city now also provides a portable stage, electricity, traffic patrolmen, park- ing facilities, water, garbage cans, and ev- en portable Johns where needed. Council has also kept student interests in mind throughout several discussions concerning proposed city parking and traffic changes. A moratorium on install- ing any new parking m e t e r s in certain campus areas was put into effect until council can hold open hearings in the fall with University students to find the best solution to the Ann Arbor parking prob- lem. HARRIS HAS SET a precedent in appoint- ing the first student ever to a boarded commission. On May 12, with council; ap- proval, the mayor appointed John Evans, a graduate student and doctoral candidate in social psychology, to the Human Rela- tions Commission. Students have, indeed, shown their po- tential power in city affairs. In the June school board elections, the student vote in five precincts helped pass a 6.67 mill pro- posal necessary to operate the public schools. The surprise victory came by a mere 300 vote margin. And in backing Harris, student voters have demonstrat' teheir nnistent sn- m.