Brooklyn Eviction Defense (BED-TU) is a borough-wide tenant union combatting disrepair, rising rent & threats of displacement with collective bargaining and direct action.

At our most recent general assembly, BED-TU members passed several major proposals regarding the future of the organization. One of these was a pause proposal, where we agreed to pause certain activities of the union so we can focus on implementing other recently-passed proposals that will shape the future of BED as an org.

During the pause period BED will not be taking on new members or new organizing projects. Additionally, working group meetings will not take place. Messages have already gone out about the WhatsApp community, which will be sunset and then dissolved in its current form on June 1st. During this time, BED will not be taking on new collaborative projects as an organization, endorsing actions, etc.

What will happen is that a group of members will be meeting weekly to flesh out and implement the proposals that were provisionally accepted.

What will continue to happen is organizing involving any already existing TAs that have a relationship with BED.

During the pause period, we will figure out a new structure for union activities such as organizing projects, working groups, and decision making processes. We will share updates and timelines on this process.

As mentioned, we are not going to be onboarding new members during the pause. If you are a member who has been involved with BED in the past and want to be involved in the restructuring work, you can reach out directly via email or through known comrades to learn more.

For members of the WhatsApp community, we are creating a temporary waiting room chat which members can join to stay updated on union matters for when we eventually unpause. You can sign up for that waiting room using this form.

If you would like to receive periodic updates on the progress and timelines of the pause period, you can sign up here — please note that this will be a separate mailing list from the one used in the past for weekly updates.