Deepening connections between U.S. labor unions and renters has helped spur the creation of tenants unions that are winning real concessions.

When the tenants come together, though, that is a different story. Recent years have seen a surge in tenant union organizing. Unions in places like Kansas City, Louisville, Los Angeles, Bozeman, Montana, and Chicago have formed and won concessions from landlords. Last year, many of the tenant unions came together to form a national Tenant Union Federation.

No one understands the potential for collective action better than tenants who are also members of labor unions. Christina Jackson is in that category. A home healthcare worker for 40 years, Jackson is a member of SEIU Local 105 and serves on the local’s standards board for home healthcare workers. “Once I became a member of SEIU, I found my voice,” she said.