SeaSol's latest victory is against a 16-billion dollar company which calls itself "one of the nation's largest" residential landlords. A young low-income tenant named Anelise was ordered out of one of their Seattle apartments in 2009 for being unable to pay the rent after losing her housing assistance. She moved out as ordered, then arranged a $200 monthly payment plan to cover the back rent she still owed. Two years later, Anelise had paid off her entire back-rent debt for the months she had lived in the apartment, but the company still was not satisfied. They demanded thousands more from her, claiming she owed them rent for all the months when the apartment had sat empty after they'd kicked her out. If she didn't keep paying, they'd ruin her credit and make it difficult to find housing in the future.

Anelise decided to fight back. Not only was she furious at the injustice, but having recently lost her job, she simply could no longer afford to keep paying the company rent for time when she had not even lived in their building. She joined SeaSol, and we agreed to take on her fight. On September 29th, 2011, thirty people marched with her into the corporate office in Belltown to present our demand: back off and leave Anelise alone, and cancel any further debt that she allegedly owed.

The company's response, on October 11th, was to flatly refuse to drop any of the alleged debt, to threaten to send the debt to a third-party collection agency, and to say that our "tactics...will not be tolerated."

So we escalated our campaign. We picketed their offices. Whenever the Executive Vice President showed up at industry and charity events, our people were there to embarrass and denounce him. When potential renters went to view the company's apartments, they were greeted by vast numbers of posters saying "WARNING RENTERS!!" and detailing the company's unscrupulous practices.

After two months of this, the company had had enough. They signed an agreement formally dropping all claims of further debt owed by Anelise.

Thanks to everyone who helped SeaSol and Anelise win this fight!

On the evening of Wednesday, December 21st, Seattle Solidarity Network held a loud and lively picket in solidarity with Natalia, a member of the East Bay Solidarity Network and a former worker at the Whole Foods in San Francisco. After 13 years without incident, Whole Foods fired Natalia for tapping a co-worker’s hat.This co-worker did not report the incident and was taken aback when he heard that Natalia had been fired. He and Natalia worked closely together in the prepared foods department for over 5 years without any issues whatsoever.

Natalia had reached the wage cap of $19 per hour and was universally liked and respected by her co-workers. She often spoke out against injustices she witnessed in the workplace and acted as a translator for Spanish language speakers in the store. SeaSol is proud to stand with Natalia, the East Bay Solidarity Network, and many others across the country who are demanding Natalia's reinstatement, with full back pay.

Please support this campaign by contacting Whole Foods Regional President David Lannon, demanding they reinstate Natalia with full back pay: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or calling 510-428-7400.

SeaSol's months long dispute with the Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI) and executive director Sharon Lee has turned nasty. LIHI accuses SeaSol of racism, and has produced fraudulent photographs to discredit SeaSol and our member at the heart of the fight, George Berumen. This statement is to clear SeaSol's record and to present the actual facts of the dispute.

George Against the Giant

In June of 2011, SeaSol was contacted by George Berumen, a former tenant of the Frye Apartments, an historic hotel managed by the Low Income Housing Institute. George met with SeaSol, became a member, and told us his story, backed by copious documentation including letters to and from LIHI. George had been wronged by LIHI. While a tenant at the Frye, his apartment was routinely filled with fumes he believed was smoke from crack cocaine, fumes that were making him feel sick. George repeatedly tried to bring his situation to the attention of the Frye manager and LIHI staff, but he says they didn't believe him and failed to resolve the situation to his satisfaction. At this point, in April of 2011, he decided to move out into a homeless shelter rather than continue to endanger his health at the apartment.

After leaving the Frye, LIHI hit George with a bill for cleaning fees totaling $139.50, and withheld George's deposit and advance rent totaling $99. These bogus charges are at the heart of SeaSol's dispute with LIHI. While LIHI offers no justification whatsoever for its continuing to withhold George's security deposit and advance rent, they claim that the cleaning fees are justified. They say it took Frye staff nine hours to clean a ten-foot by twenty-foot apartment, and have produced photos to show the state of the apartment after George's departure. However, these photos are fraudulent.

In February 2011, Dominic was working at an industrial marine repair shop in Kent when an out-of-control piece of equipment smashed into his truck in the parking lot. He asked for compensation from the company, but got nothing. This put him in a terrible position, since his wages at the shop were so low that he could not afford the repair bill. Soon they laid him off. When he finally took his ex-employer to small claims court, they signed a mediated agreement to settle for $900 compensation within one month, and it looked like the issue was finally settled. Then a month went by, and another, and the $900 never arrived.

One day Dominic called the company's owner to ask when he would get the compensation. "I will never pay you," the owner replied, "because I always win."

So Dominic joined SeaSol and prepared for action. On September 21st, 30 of us walked with him into the company's office to present our demand that they honor their agreement. After another week went by with no response, we began contacting local marine-industry companies, two per day, warning them not to do business with Dominic's former employer. Meanwhile we began preparing to escalate the pressure with more aggressive action against the company. Then on October 11th, the company called Dominic to say they were ready to settle. Dominic received his $900 that same night.

Thanks to everyone who participated in helping Dominic win his fight! He'll be there for yours.