Trillbilly Worker's Party **UNLOCKED** Parasitic Ambition (w/ special guests Josh Poe and Haley O'Shaughnessy)
Sep 25, 2025
In this engaging discussion, Josh Poe and Haley O'Shaughnessy from the Louisville Tenants Union share their experiences in tenant organizing. They delve into strategies for building supermajorities in apartment complexes, and how tenant power can challenge predatory landlords. The conversation highlights the connection between housing struggles and systemic issues like ICE enforcement, while also critiquing gentrification narratives. Their efforts to form a national tenant union federation show the importance of solidarity and grassroots organization in the fight for housing rights.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
From Nonprofit To Rank‑And‑File Union
- Louisville Tenants Union shifted from nonprofit advocacy to a democratically elected, rank-and-file tenant union in 2024.
- That structural clarity cost members but enabled collective bargaining and building-level power.
Organize Buildings And Build Support Teams
- Build supermajority tenant unions at the building level to gain leverage over rent and maintenance.
- Use at‑large teams (rides, food, childcare, legal, media) to support building fights and protect members.
Housing Is Financialized And Subsidized
- Landlords are often financialized investment firms subsidized by federal programs like Fannie Mae and Section 8.
- That subsidy creates perverse incentives to under-invest in maintenance while extracting steady returns.