Tenants and Workers United Inquilinos Y Trabajadores Unidos

Over the course of the past 25 years, TWU has won more than $100 million in living wage jobs, affordable housing, health care, public education resources, and other community benefits through strategic community organizing campaigns.  Our campaigns are chosen and designed to build the collective power and leadership skills of our low-income, primarily immigrant membership while improving the long-term economic stability and quality of life for low-income residents, immigrants and people of color in the region.  A sample of our key accomplishments:

 

• Immigrant Rights:  In coalition with a number of other organizations, blocking the passage and implementation of 22 anti-immigrant bills that had been proposed in the 2011 Virginia Legislative Assembly.
• High-Quality Public Education for All students:  In response to organized youth and parent demands, Alexandria City Public Schools signed a historic community-school partnership agreement in September 2009 that will eliminate the achievement gap between Latino/a and African American students and their white peers.
• Affordable Housing:  Establishment of and ongoing technical assistance to the 282-unit limited equity Arlandria/Chirilagua Housing Cooperative that provides below market rate housing for low-income and mostly Latino/a residents.  Many past and present residents are active TWU members.
• Low-wage Workers Rights:  Organizing with more than 500 immigrant taxi drivers to reform the anti-driver taxi industry laws in Alexandria and establish the driver-owned and operated Alexandria Union Cab.  AUC is now the second largest cab company in Alexandria with a market value of over $2 million and 234 member-owners.