Chicago Union of Tenants (CUT) members are organized at two interlocking levels: branches and citywide coordination. Each of these levels has structures within it that help facilitate the overall work of the union. At the branch level, there are tenant associations, organized and maintained primarily by specific CUT branches. At the citywide level, there are development committees, facilitated by CUT coordinators with the active participation from members across all of our branches.
At present, we have three branches: the North Lake branch, the North River branch, and the South/West branch. The branches are the foundation of CUT activity. Branches hold regularly scheduled, in-person meetings at least twice a month, and have at least one in-person event or action most weeks of the year. The goal of the branches is to incubate, organize, and support independent tenant associations and to grow the tenant movement in Chicago. Tenant associations are membership groups made up of tenants that have begun organizing to fight for better living conditions, and the goal of CUT branches is both to bring these associations into formation and to help guide and coordinate their fights.
Decisions about the organization structure, membership, political direction, proposed agreements, and coordinator elections are made by CUT members at general meetings, which are held five times a year, in January, March, May, August, and October. Each general meeting has a specific purpose (see CUT meetings structure), but all general meetings are spaces for reflection on past organizing, socializing among union members, and unionwide decision-making.
CUT’s branch activity is directed and supported by CUT’s citywide coordinator structure. At present, the coordinators are composed of three elected branch coordinators, one secretary, one treasurer, and one membership coordinator. The secretary is in charge of CUT communication and document management; the treasurer is in charge of CUT finances and dues payments; and the membership coordinator is in charge of overseeing onboarding of new members, helping guide the training of current members, and overseeing conflict mediation. This coordinator structure is not a decision making body. It exists only as a space to discuss administrative work, facilitate events, and ensure
organizational transparency for tenant associations.
In addition to its coordinator structure, CUT’s citywide level contains a number of development committees that help orient the union’s activity, propose new initiatives, and unify the branches into one interwoven organization. Committees are longstanding groups that facilitate ongoing aspects of CUT activity. At present, we have two active committees: design (newsletter, flyers, propaganda, social media) and IT (website and citywide landlord database).
Working groups, on the other hand, are more temporary spaces where members come together to complete specific CUT projects. As such, the existing number of CUT working groups is always in flux as the organization develops. At present, we have working groups for Onboarding and Training, Bylaw Formation, Tenant Summit Planning, and Organizing Strategy and Internal Structure. All CUT members are encouraged to take part in all aspects of the organization, at both the branch and citywide levels.
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