An Open Letter to Glendale Residents about the 2024 Primary Elections

Dear Glendale Neighbors:

Many of you have reached out to the Glendale Tenants Union (GTU) for our input on the March 5 Primary elections and our choices from the field of candidates who want to win the 2 open City Council seats. It is not surprising that many of our neighbors are seeking our input on this election given that tenants are more than 67% of the total population in Glendale. As an all volunteer organization whose members work collectively to keep all tenants housed, support each other, and build tenants power, we have witnessed first hand our City Council ignore the struggles that tenants are facing to remain in their homes in the city that they love. Unsurprisingly, working class tenants, seniors, families, immigrants, Black and Brown tenants are disproportionately hurt.

Our union members, together with our comrades in the Los Angeles Tenants Union have kept our neighbors housed with collective tenant power, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, not the current Glendale City Council members and City departments.  

Glendale Tenants Union does not endorse any candidate running for any position in Glendale. One of the candidates, Karen Kwak, is a former GTU member, so we want to underscore that the Union has no relationship with her as of September 2023. Karen is no longer part of GTU after her repeated racist comments towards Latino members, disrespect for fellow members, and gross breach of commitment to collective coordination of Union communications.

GTU fights for inclusivity of all people in our community and therefore we do not tolerate racism, homophobia, xenophobia, ageism, and any other form of harassment and oppression. We believe that a home is more than a roof over our head, It is being part of a vibrant, safe, stable, and supportive community. 

If we want to see a Glendale City Council whose function and composition prioritize the needs and voices of the most vulnerable people in our city, we must focus our energy on building tenant power. As the COVID-19 Pandemic showed, neighbors, mutual aid, each of us working collectively is what will lead us closer to the world we want to see - not the election and actions of any politician or aspiring politician. 

If you share our vision for Glendale, please join us every Wednesday evening at Pacific Park at 7 pm. 

In Solidarity and Community, 

The Glendale Tenants Union