Atlantic Mills Tenants Union rallies, marches, and demands collective bargaining

“We are not going anywhere,” said organizer Emily Harrington.

The Atlantic Mills Tenants Union, an affiliate chapter of the Rhode Island Tenants Union, has received no reply or acknowledgment of union demands from owner Howard and Eleanor Brynes LLC or potential buyers Eric Edelman and Robert Berle.

“Despite our well-written letters and well-attended rally on December 21st, we’ve not heard directly from either the current owners or the buying team,” said organizer Emily Harrington. “They’ve told the press that when they buy the building, they will reach out individually to all the tenants, which is a polite way of saying, ‘We do not acknowledge the union - Fend for yourselves.’

“We don’t accept that.”

The Atlantic Mills Tenant Union members say they have organized because they have good cause to fear displacement. This fear has been further exacerbated by the omission of existing leases from the purchase and sales contract between Howard and Eleanor Brynes LLC and buyers Eric Edelman and Robert Berle.

To clarify Edelman’s true intentions and secure a written commitment to sit down with the union, members and supporters of the Atlantic Mills Tenants Union rallied at Memorial Park in Downtown Providence on Wednesday before marching to Robert Berle’s office to deliver their letter of intent and union demands in person.

“We have nothing more important than each other, so we are here to support each other, to fight for each other, to raise our voices, and to say that we love the Atlantic Mills,” said Atlantic Mills Tenant and organizer Jenine Bressner. “We want to be able to stay there. We want the community to remain consistent and protect the most vulnerable among us, particularly immigrants. At this moment, I feel heartened to be together, to raise our voices, and to show that we’re on the same page. We’re fighting for what we care the most about and what we believe in.”

“One of my friends received an eviction notice this week,” said tenant and organizer Will James. “It’s unclear how they’re targeting people. The letter didn’t give a reason. People that have been in the mill for so long deserve more respect. This person has a long-term lease. This buyer is not acting in good faith and is disregarding people’s legal contracts. It is not acceptable. When we had our last rally, the [new buyers] immediately responded to the press, but they can’t respond to us? They’re always claiming that they’re acting in good faith and following the law yet they're willing to brush people aside.”

The Atlantic Mills Tenants Union demands:

1. Robert Berle, Eric Edelman, and associated parties agree, in writing, to sit down and negotiate with the union;

2. A 99-year lease that includes immediate rent stabilization in addition to honoring an eviction moratorium that continues until a collectively bargained agreement can be reached; and,

3. That we stay in our space, the space that we’ve made, the space that is ours and that we’ve made look like such a fantastic investment with our presence there.

“We are not going anywhere,” said organizer Emily Harrington.

See also:

• 2024-10-11 Atlantic Mills tenants meet to combat rumors and defend their tenancy

• 2024-12-22 Atlantic Mills Tenants Union is the first commercial tenants union in Rhode Island

• 2024-12-27 Providence legislators support unionization of Atlantic Mills commercial tenants