1920–1921 Chicago rent strikes

Historical event Citation bot, InternetArchivebot 1920-21 Chicago rent strikes Breaking the Landlords' Lease on Peace.jpg Tenants at 4706-32 Racine avenue and others give a demonstration against rent boosting, March 1920 Signs read: "Unfair. This apartment will not vacate May 1. Agent of landlord demands 86 to 100 per cent advance in rent. Do you want to buy a lawyer?" 1920–1921 Chicago, Illinois Rent increases and housing shortage Rent reversals or decreases Tenant power and protections Apartment heating Rent strike Picketing Solidarity actions Minor tenant union victory: Rent reversals or decreases Passage of new tenant eviction protections Heat code for apartment buildings Kessinger laws Tenants Chicago Tenants Protective Association; 1919 Chicago Tenants Protective League (CTPL); 1920–? Racine Avenue Tenants Association Rogers Park Protective Association (RPTPA) Edgewater Protective Association Wilson Avenue Tenants' Association Woodlawn Tenants' Association Chicago Building Trades Council Chicago Federation of Labor Landlords :Lake View Property Owners & Improvement Association Realtors :Chicago Real Estate Board (CREB) *Police Magistrate 1920: ~10,000 tenants 1921: ~20,000 tenants Evictions The 1920–1921 Chicago rent strikes were a series of tenant mobilizations against rent increases and landlords following an acute housing crisis in the city. It was likely in part inspired by the tactics of the 1918–1920 New York City rent strikes. The rent strikes were also characterized by a then ongoing open shop movement by employers to break up unions, with a focus on the building trades, utilizing the housing crisis to call for a decrease in their wages. By its end the strikes in Chicago won tenants the right to a trial by jury, the right for judges to give tenants a six-month delay in rent increases and led to the institution of a minimum heat requirement for apartments during winter months. Many tenants also individually won decreases in rent with their landlords after going on rent strike and negotiating with their landlord. Background Overall clothing boycott movement Prior to the 1920–21 Chicago rent strikes, Chicago was experiencing an acute cost of living crisis as a result of World War 1 manufacturing mobilization towards war industries. It caused supply shortages and a particularly acute housing crisis as the building industries redirected to war manufacturing. The city was also undergoing rapid industrialization as workers moved there for the war industries further limiting housing supply; From 1910 to 1920 Chicago's population grew by 20%.Robbins Mark W. https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.3998/mpub.9343785 Middle Class Union: Organizing the 'Consuming Public' in Post-World War I America 2017 University of Michigan Press 978-0-472-13033-7 5. Rent War! Middle-Class Tenant Organizing 10.3998/mpub.9343785 10.3998/mpub.9343785 April 4, 2024 https://repository.library.brown.edu/studio/item/bdr:151/PDF/ April 4, 2024 live From 1914 to 1919 the cost of housing in Chicago increased by 14%. While the general cost of living roughly doubled in that same period. However the most acute crisis would occur from 1919 to 1921. Where from December 1919 to December 1921, housing costs in Chicago increased 62%, while the general cost of living actually slightly decreased. Among Chicago tenants several other housing issues precipitated organizing. Notably for middle class tenants, landlords' discrimination against those with children became a sticking point, with landlords becoming more stringent as the housing shortage gave them more leverage and power.Aug 25, 1920 New Flat Lease Cancels Even Trial By Jury; Tenants' Meeting at Church Barred https://www.newspapers.com/image/355268321/?match=1&terms=chicago%20tenants 2025-04-26 Newspapers.com Chicago Tribune en Another aspect of contention was heating. At the time a nationwide coal shortage was occurring due both to the after effects of WW1 mobilization toward wartime industry.2020-04-30 New York Harbor and the Vicious Circle of the Winter of 1917–1918 https://www.environmentandsociety.org/arcadia/new-york-harbor-and-vicious-circle-winter-1917-1918 2023-10-28 Environment & Society Portal en A particular harsh winter from 1917 to 1918 also heavily affected tenants, with some landlords stopping their providing of coal and heat in the case of central heating.Hubbell Daniel 2018-01-29 100 Years Ago: Ice Wreaked Havoc Throughout River System https://www.waterwaysjournal.net/2018/01/29/100-years-ago-ice-wreaked-havoc-throughout-river-system/ The Waterways Journal en-US 2023-10-28Fogelson Robert M. https://academic.oup.com/yale-scholarship-online/book/18895 The Great Rent Wars: New York, 1917-1929 2013-10-15 Yale University Press 978-0-300-20558-9 4 enJanuary 11, 1918 Director General McAdoo Speeds Up Coal Movement: The Extremely Cold Weather of the Past Week Has Seriously Complicated the Fuel Problem https://archive.org/details/sim_railway-age_1918-01-11_64_2/page/125/mode/1up Railway Age Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation English 64 2 While this crisis reduced, landlords not providing heat was still a problem in later years and thus became an important demand by Chicagoan tenants. Middle class self-identity, the American plan, and labor The rent strikes in Chicago were partially defined by a self identification as a 'middle class'. Particularly defined by the idea of white collar living, and a racialized identity, as white exclusive. This framework was in part encouraged by the conservative 'citizens committees' set up around the country by the American 'open shop' plan by employers, placing the blame of the high cost of living, on organized labor, in order to break apart the power of organized labor in the country;Wakstein Allen M. December 1, 1964 The Origins of the Open-Shop Movement, 1919-1920 https://academic.oup.com/jah/article-lookup/doi/10.2307/1894896 The Journal of American History 51 3 460–475 10.2307/1894896 1894896 subscriptionDunn Robert W. https://archive.org/details/americanizationo00dunnrich/page/66/mode/ The Americanization of labor. The employers' offensive against the trade unions. With an introd. by S. Nearing Nearing Scott 1927 International Publishers Prelinger Library New York There was a specific focus by employers on attacking the building trades within the US, given the historical strength labor had within the building crafts, of which the housing crisis provided the perfect opportunity to place blame on labor unions for high rents. Organized labor was framed as the enemy of the middle class, alongside profiteers; Pitting white collar and blue collar workers against each other. 1919 1918–1920 New York City rent strikes Chicago race riot of 1919 1918–1920 NYC rent strikes With tenants facing rapid rent increases. In July the City Council of Chicago passed resolutions that blamed the high rents on labor unions striking, grafting by craftsman, and lastly unscrupulous landlords. Citing the first two as the cause of the housing shortage and the primary cause. 1919 preceded the ramping up of one of the most militant, widespread and coordinated, union busting and open shop attacks by employers against labor unions, crafts & labor organizing from 1920 to 1921.21 A central focus of these attacks was primarily the building trades.40 This was because the building trades in most US cities maintained organized labor power long after workers elsewhere, such as the manufacturing industry had been defeated in their attempt to unionize.61 Chicago was no exception, even as late as 1929, the plurality of unionist's in Chicago were in the building trades, making up 33% of organized labor in the city. The resolution also called for the Committee on the Judiciary to investigate the high rents and find a legal way to keep rents from being raised by more than 10%. Five days later, they concluded that they could raise the property taxes proportionally with the rent increase, which would only make landlords pay a higher percentage on the new profits. But the committee claimed nothing else could be done. Similarly, the Chicago Real Estate Board placed the blame of high rents on the building trades. Prior to the start of rent strikes, the Chicago Tenants Protective Association (CPTA) would be formed on August 14, 1919302–303 This would the first step in tenant organizing by Chicagoan tenantsgeneral Of 1201 Garrick Building that would later precipitate into a much larger tenants league. The CPTA was formed in response to rapid rent increases, increasing up to 600% for some, by roughly 400 tenants. Strikes First Red Scare 1920 Tenants of the Flat Iron Building at 553 West Madison Street go on strike against a rent increase on February 12, 1920. Where the increase in rent went as high as 300% for some.February 12, 1920 Tenants Form Own Union and Strike as Rents Increase https://www.newspapers.com/image/369982349/?terms=rent%20strike&match=1 2024-04-04 wikipedialibrary.wmflabs.org Chicago Tribune en The Big Squeeze, Transparent.png Chicago Tribune; February 12, 1920 top right 320 Chicago Real Estate Board promoted private arbitration with them. An allusion is made to the successful tenants strike in New York.February 15, 1920 Arbitration and Strike Compete to Solve Rents: Two Landlords Agree to Board Ruling https://www.newspapers.com/image/369988105/?terms=tenant%20strike&match=1 2024-04-04 wikipedialibrary.wmflabs.org Chicago Tribune en While some historians argue that the tenant activism of the time was middle class in nature, Maia Silber argues that middle class tenants simply represented one slice of a much broader diverse tenant coalition.Silber Maia April 8, 2023 The Home Front: World War I, Tenant Activism, and Housing Policy Before the New Deal http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00961442221083320 Journal of Urban History en 50 2 345–368 10.1177/00961442221083320 0096-1442 subscription Women Rally to Map out Chicago's First "Rent Strike".png Chicago Tribune; February 29, 1920 bottom right 300 On the night of February 27, 40 tenants at 4706–4732 North Racine Avenue apartments met, hired an attorney, former Judge Robert Turney, and decided to rent strike in response to a proposed doubling of rent. Refusing to move on May 1.February 28, 1920 Forty Tenants Combine For First Strike: Lakeview Owners to Raise to Limit https://www.newspapers.com/image/370127617/?terms=rent%20strike&match=1 2024-04-04 wikipedialibrary.wmflabs.org Chicago Tribune 1, 4 en Landlords also met the same night, at a public meeting advising each other. The broad sentiment was unsympathetic towards the tenants complaints. At one point during the president of the Lake View Property Owners and Improvement Association George W. Torpe shouted "we should get as much as we can." to other landlords. While others encouraged each other to "shove it to the tenants". The next day another meeting was held which expanded the amount of tenants planning to participate in the rent strike, to 84, of the two the Dorchester-Winchester apartment buildings on Racine Avenue. An offer was given by the tenants to not rent strike if an increase of 33.31% was accepted by the landlords. Of the situation one tenant stated:February 29, 1920 Rent 'Strikers To Offer Peace First, Then War: Tenants' Rally Today to Pass on Plans https://www.newspapers.com/image/370130398/?terms=rent%20strike&match=1 2024-04-04 wikipedialibrary.wmflabs.org Chicago Tribune en "This is a soviet,general The term is referring to soviet workers councils. A type of organizational structure, and which operated as local semi-governmental organizations. They are largely associated with the Russian revolution and later the Soviet Union.Soviet 1920 Henri F. Klein formed to get our rent rights... We are not bolshevik, but we'll be a soviet until the landlords learn to treat us fairly. We must stick together like glue and then we will win." W. G. Minmeyer, tenant During that meeting, more than 100 tenants, from Lake View to Rogers Park, unexpectedly joined the meeting calling for the organization -which was initially formed to battle the Baird & Warner real estate firm attempts to raise rent 86%–100%- be made citywide instead. Reportedly the response by Dorchester-Winchester tenants were mixed on whether to allow them into the group, with one tenant stating, "It's a wonderful idea... However, we must remember that we have to win our own little local fight first."March 1, 1920 City-Wide Union to Fight Unjust Rents Demanded: Action Asked as Tenants of Baird-Warner Meet https://www.newspapers.com/image/370292128/?terms=rent%20war&match=1 2024-04-05 wikipedialibrary.wmflabs.org Chicago Tribune en At this meeting the elected offices of the Racine-Avenue tenants union collected a 'war fund' of several hundreds ($100 US 100 1920 eq) of dollars, and had their attorney Robert Turney to present a petition to the Dorchester-Winchester building agents for a fair rents. Walter J. Minnemeyer was elected as the tenant unions permanent chairmen, Miss Mary Carlock the secretary and A. E. Jessurun treasurer. On March 4, it was reported that the tenants of the buildings planned to take the fight to the court and legislature. H. S. Standish one of the leading tenants stated that if they could mobilize 20,000 to 50,000 tenants behind them, they would be able to push for any legislation necessary.March 4, 1920 Try to Mobilize 50,000 Tenants for Hi Rent War: Plan City Organization Against Landlords https://www.newspapers.com/image/370301528/?terms=tenant%20strike&match=1 2024-04-04 wikipedialibrary.wmflabs.org Chicago Tribune en On the afternoon of March 7, plans were made for the formation of a citywide tenant organization by the North Racine Avenue apartment tenants. Their grievances over the rent increases had also reached the city council. The tenants organization would have a group for each of their neighborhoods. There then would be a central committee composed of a president, vice president, secretary, and a representative from each of the neighborhood tenant blocks. At the meeting signs were also handed out to the tenants planning to strike to use.general Pictured above in the infoboxMarch 8, 1920 Renters Launch Plans for City Union, Strikes: Cheer "Unfair" Placards for Flat Building https://www.newspapers.com/image/370319807/?terms=rent%20strike&match=1 2024-04-04 wikipedialibrary.wmflabs.org Chicago Tribune enMarch 7, 1920 Tenants Mobilize Today for Rent War: City-Wide Organization is Now Likely https://www.newspapers.com/image/370306783/?terms=rent%20war&match=1 2024-04-05 wikipedialibrary.wmflabs.org Chicago Tribune en The first settlement for a tenant was reached in court on the afternoon March 8. The tenant agreed to pay the 2 months rent they had been holding, after the necessary repairs had been made on the house and the landlord agreeing to give her a 2-year lease. The Rogers Park Tenant Protective Association held a meeting the night of March 8, and said that if the Racine Avenue tenants associations is unable to form a citywide tenant organization, they will. That night, C.E Dowd a veteran of World War I and tenant, spoke at the meeting where around 1,200 tenants of Roger Park attended, 1,000 of which joined the association and another 100 told to mail their applications, after they ran out of application blanks. During his speech, Dowd stated "I helped whip the greatest landlords – the former Kaiser – and I call upon you to help me whip the landlords of Chicago." Another tenant, William F. Forkhill, said to cheers, "profiteers are making anarchist of men who are honest at heart." Alderman Mulcahy, chairmen of the city council's rent committee, pledged the aid of his colleagues in the tenants movement at the meeting. It was also announced that a meeting of every neighborhood group in the city would be held in a few days, to combine into a citywide tenants association.March 9, 1920 Overseas Hero Cheers Tenants On In Rent War: Thousands Join League to Fight Profiteers https://www.newspapers.com/image/370322432/?terms=rent%20strike&match=1 2024-04-04 wikipedialibrary.wmflabs.org Chicago Tribune en Solution of Rent Problem Home Built Around Portable House by Family at Small Cost.png Chicago Tribune; March 23, 1920 bottom The next week the Chicago Tenants' Protective League (CTPL) was formed.March 22, 1920 Tenants' League Ready to Take in New Locals https://www.newspapers.com/image/349438654/?match=1&terms=Chicago%20Tenant%20protective 2024-04-12 wikipedialibrary.wmflabs.org Chicago Tribune en On March 18, A. E. Jessurun, Treasurer of the league addressed a pig in front of an audience of 500 white collar tenants, asking the pig for forgiveness: "I did you an injury whenever I called a landlord a 'rent hog'... I take it all back. You certainly did nothing to deserve having your name transferred to the landlord" A. E. Jessurun, CTPL Treasurer The crowd responded with a long applause, after which the pig grunted. On March 23, a meeting was held between the Cook County real estate board committee and representatives of the tenants' associations. The estate board blamed the rising rent on building costs, and proposed building homes around a portable houses to lower costs.March 23, 1920 Realty Dealers To Meet With Tenants Today: Settlement of High Rent Question is Up. https://www.newspapers.com/image/349439341/?match=1&terms=Chicago%20Tenant%20protective 2024-04-12 wikipedialibrary.wmflabs.org Chicago Tribune en The Chicago Real Estate Board similarly claimed the building shortage and the trades high labor cost as at fault for the high rents, accusing labor of grafting. Later fears around a tenants blacklist by landlords were raised by the now formed CTPL.March 30, 1920 Blacklist Fear Latest Woe of Tenants' Lives https://www.newspapers.com/image/349450140/?terms=rent%20strike&match=5 2024-04-04 wikipedialibrary.wmflabs.org Chicago Tribune en Historian Andrew Wender Cohen, argues when discussing the rise of racketeering charges in Chicago during this period, that it was created as a rhetorical strategy by businesses in an attempt to suppress organized craftsmen.Cohen Andrew Wender http://archive.org/details/racketeersprogre0000cohe The racketeer's progress : Chicago and the struggle for the modern American economy, 1900-1940 2009 Cambridge University Press Internet Archive 978-0-521-12450-8 Cambridge 234-245,245-264 On April 5, Milton Plotke, an owner of an option on the Dorchester-Winchester apartments agreed to arbitrate with the tenants.April 6, 1920 Tenants Win First Round in Rent War https://www.newspapers.com/image/349278674/?terms=rent%20war&match=1 2024-04-05 wikipedialibrary.wmflabs.org Chicago Tribune en Strike On May 1, thousands of families of the Chicago Tenants Protective Association went on rent strike. H. J. Standish president of league estimated 10,000 tenants would be striking, defying Chicago's May 1 moving day.May 1, 1920 Chicago Rent Strike Tenants Wont Move https://www.newspapers.com/image/586674587/?terms=chicago%20rent%20strike&match=1 2024-04-04 wikipedialibrary.wmflabs.org Knoxville Sentinel enMay 1, 1920 Chicagoans go on Rent Strike: Defy Landlords https://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn84031374/1920-05-01/ed-1/seq-1/#date1=01%2F01%2F1917&index=13&date2=12%2F31%2F1921&searchType=advanced&SearchType=prox5&sequence=0&words=RENT+rent+STRIKE+strike&proxdistance=5&to_year=1921&rows=20&ortext=&from_year=1917&proxtext=rent+strike&phrasetext=&andtext=&dateFilterType=range&page=1 The Advertiser-JournalMay 2, 1920 Rent Strike in Chicago: Thousands of Families Refuse to Obey Orders to Vacate. https://www.nytimes.com/1920/05/02/archives/rent-strike-in-chicago-thousands-of-families-refuse-to-obey-orders.html 2023-08-22 The New York Times en-US 0362-4331 Reportedly, many last minute agreements occurred between tenants and landlords before the strikes, with several thousand tenants moving. While others refused to vacate or being unable to find moving vans, remained in their apartments. Several days before the strike, evicting tenants had been temporarily barred by Dennis Eagan bailiff of the Municipal Courts, due to the high rent crisis.May 2, 1920 Chicago Rent Strike Is Obtaining Results: Refuse to Vacate Apartments As Move Against Higher Rent https://www.newspapers.com/image/47299708/?terms=chicago%20rent%20strike&match=1 2024-04-04 wikipedialibrary.wmflabs.org The San Bernardino County Sun en One van company was also reportedly found guilty of charging rates higher than those fixed by the city ordinances. During that month, more than 2,000 eviction cases were filed by landlords in total.May 4, 1920 Order 26 Evictions; 2,000 cases pend. https://www.newspapers.com/image/369900307/?match=1&terms=chicago%20tenants%20eviction%20cases%7Caccess-date=2024-04-04 Chicago Tribune en Tenants and landlords alike were also at this time preparing for the Springfield hearing on the six-month stay of eviction law of the Kessinger Bill, as it was about to come up for a final vote by the Illinois House of Representatives. Both officials of the CPTA and CREB left the city for the capital that night. The law ended not being passed at the time. While the Roger Park Tenants league held a meeting the night of May 4 at the Eugene Field School, two deputy bailiffs attempted to serve writs of eviction to specific striking tenants. However chairmen of the league, J.R. Patterson, in response called speakers up without using their names, in order to prevent the officers from identifying who could be served.May 5, 1920 Bailiffs Foiled in Plan to Raid Rent Meeting; Tenants Hide Identity, Writs Go Unserved. https://www.newspapers.com/image/369902582/?match=1&terms=chicago%20tenants 2025-04-26 Newspapers.com Chicago Tribune en During this meeting Patterson read out a document on "the battle of the so-called middle classes against the encroachments of the proletariat and capitalistic classes". That same day, eight tenantsgeneral 1226-28-30 South Halsted street won in court a ruling that gave them permission to remain there at the same rent rates as last year, for three more years. According to Major H. S. Standish of the Chicago Tenants' Protective League, many couples had moved back in with one of their parents to save money.The Taylorville Daily Breeze Courier May 6, 1920 High Rents Driving Chicago Young Couples to Live with Parents https://www.newspapers.com/image/977231494/?match=1&terms=chicago%20tenants 2025-04-26 Newspapers.com en Tenants Will Become Own Landlords Here, Chicago Tribune.png Chicago Tribune; June 20, 1920 bottom In June, 18 families living in the Sunnyside apartmentsgeneral at the corner of Ridge avenue and Washington street, Evanston formed a cooperative association to purchase the building. The building had 18 apartments each with a heated sun parlor. Each family would buy five $100 (US 100 1920 0 eq) shares for each room in their apartment. This would raise $58,500 (US 58,500 1920 0 eq) the first payment on the building alongside $75,000 mortgage from the bank. Then each family would pay $3.50/month per room (US 3.5 1920 0 eq) to cover operating expenses and another monthly payment to cover the mortgage.Jun 20, 1920 Tenants Will Become Own Landlords Here https://www.newspapers.com/image/355146703/?match=1&terms=chicago%20tenants 2025-04-26 Newspapers.com Chicago Tribune en On the night of August 16, a mass meeting was held at Chicago's American Legion hallAt North Clark street and Greenleaf avenure to set plans for a citywide movement against rent profiteering. This would include representatives of the Roger Park Tenants Protective Association and the Wilson Avenue Tenant's association. On August 17, a meeting was held in Springfield by Gov. Lowden of Illinois between himself and a subcommittee of the Chicago city council to discuss a proposal to call the state legislature to pass laws preventing rent profiteering. Chicago Alderman R. J. Mulcahy among several civic organizations' representative were present for this, specifically they were asking for a special session on the rent crisis.Aug 15, 1920 Lowden To Hear Plea for Special Rent Hog Session; Fixes Tuesday to Meet Council Committee https://www.newspapers.com/image/355248830/?match=1&terms=chicago%20tenants 2025-04-26 Newspapers.com Chicago Tribune enAug 17, 1920 Chicago Tenants in Appeal to Governor https://www.newspapers.com/image/85536922/?match=1&terms=chicago%20tenants 2025-04-26 AP News enChicago Tenants Protective LeagueOrganization leadershipSep 22, 1920 City Tenants Unite to Stop Rent Pirates https://www.newspapers.com/image/32482514/ 2025-04-26 Newspapers.com The Englewood Economist en *President J. R. Patterson (Rogers Park Association) VP Dr. H. I. Van Puyl (Woodlawn association) Secretary A. D. Jessurun (Wilson Avenue Association) Treasurer E. F. Hammond (Rogers Park Association)Planned BranchesSep 22, 1920 300,000 Tenants Asked to Enlist In High Rent War https://www.newspapers.com/image/354910076/?match=1&terms=chicago%20tenants 2025-04-26 Newspapers.com Chicago Tribune en:Rogers Park Wilson Avenue Lake View Woodlawn Hyde Park South Shore Garfield Park AustinDuring this conference, Gov. Lowden proclaimed that the rent profiteers were beyond the scope of what existing laws could stop, and that such laws likely wouldn't be constitutional. He also stated that it was in real estate men's best interest to stamp down the profiteering.Aug 18, 1920 Illinois Constitution Protects Rent Raisers https://www.newspapers.com/image/69430466/?match=1&terms=tenants%20chicago 2025-04-26 Newspapers.com The Pantagraph enAug 18, 1920 'Act or People Will Fix Rent,' Lowden Warns; Realty Men Told to Stop Boosts https://www.newspapers.com/image/355265800/?match=1&terms=wilson%20avenue%20tenants 2025-04-27 Newspapers.com Chicago Tribune en Assistant Corporation Counsel Morton S. Cressy differed with Gov. Lowden, arguing that a valid law that gave the Chicago city council authority to name a commission with powers similar to those regulating of public utilities could be passed. Arguing on the basis that Baltimore, Maryland already had such a commission. On August 24, Morton S. Cressy explained how the CREB's new lease form wrote out tenants right to trial by jury, forfeiting it. The meeting where this was discussed was originally set to be at the Buena Memorial Presbyterian church, however one of the trustees of the church and member of real estate firm Baird & Warner gave orders to the church not to admit them forcing them to meet elsewhere. The new lease also wrote out their ability to sue for damages. On September 3, it was announced that the United States senate would open an investigation on the housing crisis.Sep 3, 1920 U.S. Senate to Help Chicago Tenants https://www.newspapers.com/image/977232494/?match=1&terms=chicago%20tenants 2025-04-26 Newspapers.com The Taylorville Daily Breeze Courier en Then September 22, the Chicago Tenants Protective League (CPTL) officially formed, bringing together all the existing tenant associations in the city to work together on the rent crisis, with plans for further expansion into the currently unorganized districts in the city without tenant associations. On September 28, Joseph A. Greenberg, a west side landlord announced he would be implementing a 10% reduction in rent in the two buildings he owned. He also urged other landlords to follow given the cost of living crisis.Sep 29, 1920 Landlord Cuts Rents; Urges Others to Act https://www.newspapers.com/image/354913953/?match=1&terms=chicago%20tenants 2025-04-26 Newspapers.com Chicago Tribune en In October, plans were announced for a campaign by the CTPL to push for anti-rent profiteering laws during the next state legislature session in January.Oct 13, 1920 Tenants Start Fight for law to Curb Owners; Drastic Penalties are Proposed https://www.newspapers.com/image/355181707/?match=3&terms=chicago%20tenants 2025-04-26 Newspapers.com Chicago Tribune enOct 16, 1920 Ask of Law to Curb Landlord https://www.newspapers.com/image/1041479394/?match=1&terms=chicago%20tenants 2025-04-26 Newspapers.com Dwight Star and Herald enOct 21, 1920 Illinois News Notes https://www.newspapers.com/image/762809841/?match=1&terms=chicago%20tenants 2025-04-26 Newspapers.com The Pearl City News enNov 3, 1920 Tenants to Push Fight for Laws on Profiteers; Not Discouraged by New York Ruling https://www.newspapers.com/image/355196425/?match=1&terms=chicago%20tenants 2025-04-26 Newspapers.com Chicago Tribune enDec 14, 1920 Clash Expected at Hearing on Flat Heat Bill https://www.newspapers.com/image/355262758/?match=1&terms=chicago%20tenants 2025-04-26 Newspapers.com Chicago Tribune en 1921 Leadup Give Him a Little Shrapnel Boys.jpg Chicago Tribune; February 18, 1921 top 160 On February 15, police were guarding the eighteen apartment buildinggeneral At 3805 Rokeby street after threats were made to the building. Postal cards with the following statement were reportedly mailed to half of the building occupants:February 16, 1921 Police On Guard At Flat to Halt Rent War Bombs https://www.newspapers.com/image/355057897/?clipping_id=64522676&fcfToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJmcmVlLXZpZXctaWQiOjM1NTA1Nzg5NywiaWF0IjoxNzEyMzU5Mzc0LCJleHAiOjE3MTI0NDU3NzR9.IhG3CKU2DPMxx9V4SQiMrcSCZPsucCdN0SkJM4CZvC0 2024-04-05 wikipedialibrary.wmflabs.org Chicago Tribune en "If Germany Klotzgeneral Referring to Amelia Klotz who owned the building raises rents, the building will be blown up." anonymous, mailed postcard On February 17, the Chicago real estate board held a meeting. Where they voted to approve Brigadier General Abel Davis' plan to curb rent gouging. Abel Davis stated that if they didn't avoid more increases this year, it would guarantee that the Illinois enacted legislation that was far worse for them. He also urged them to allow fifteen days notice to tenants to renew their leases instead of 3 to 5. He also called for the board to take immediate action to simulate building construction, and to lobby for the passage of a pending bill in congress that exempted real estate mortgages from taxation.February 18, 1921 War for Fair Rents Backed By Realty Men: Agree to Support Gen. Davis' Plan https://www.newspapers.com/image/355058604/?fcfToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJmcmVlLXZpZXctaWQiOjM1NTA1ODYwNCwiaWF0IjoxNzEyMzU4ODYzLCJleHAiOjE3MTI0NDUyNjN9.SbeoDDT_4hob9volfQjv7OHNAbktDz0Px5m7KJD9O_I 2024-04-05 wikipedialibrary.wmflabs.org Chicago Tribune 1–2 en only the list that uses this source is the incorporated text 1 1921 Chicago Real estate board rental zones.png right 250 425 Division I: Steam Heated Apartments (Heat supplied by landlords) Class 1 – Strictly modern, built or remodeled within last ten years, with sun parlor. Class 2 – Same, but with open front porch In place of sun parlor. Class 3 – Same, but no sun parlor or front porch. Class 4 – Buildings from ten to twenty years old, modern, with hardwood floors, electric light, and open plumbing. Class 5 – Buildings over twenty years old: [a] Buildings with electric light, hardwood floors, and modern plumbing. [b] Same, but no electric light. [c] Soft wood floors and trim, no electric light. border: 1px; right Price zones Division II: Stove/Furnace Heated Apartments (Heat supplied by tenants) Class 1 – Strictly modern, hardwood floors, electric light, open plumbing, heated by furnace. Class 2 – Same, but heated with stoves. Class 3 – All other stove and furnace heated flats 120 right Rental districts by zone North Side 1.Lake ViewChicago avenue to Irving Fark boulevard, Lake Michigan to Clark street 2.West Lake ViewChicago avenue to Irving Park boulevard. Clark street to Chicago and Northwestern railroad 3.Wilson avenueIrving Park boulevard to Argyle street, Lake Michigan to Clark street 4.RavenswoodClark street west to Albany Park 5.EdgewaterArgyle street to Devon avenue, Lake Michigan to Chicago and North-western railroad 6. Rogers ParkDevon avenue to city limits, Lake Michigan to Western avenue South Side 1.Kenwood and Hyde Park districtThirty-ninth street to Midway. Lake Michigan to Cottage Grove avenue 2.Washington parkForty-third street to Sixty-third street, Cottage Grove avenue to Michigan avenue 3.WoodlawnMidway to Sixty-seventh street, Lake Michigan to South Park avenue 4.South ShoreSixty-seventh street to Seventy-ninth street. Lake Michigan to main line Illinois Central railroad 5.EnglewoodGarfield boulevard to Seventy-ninth street. State street to Kedzie avenue West Side 1.Central west sideHalsted street to California avenue 2.Garfield parkCalifornia avenue to Cicero avenue 3.AustinCicero avenue west to city limits 4.Douglas parkterritory adjacent to Douglas park 5.Northwest sideterritory in northwest part of city 6.Logan Squareterritory adjacent to Logan square 7.Albany Parkterritory lying west of Ravenswood border: 1px; 87px As part of the plan, a tentative price fixing/price control map was established. Defined both by different geographical zoning and on the class of housing present, divided among those that were steam landlord heated apartments (Division I), and those that were stove or furnace tenant heated (Division II). These were then further divided into classes based on how modern the other amenities were. They were zoned geographically as the North, West, and South sides respectively. The same night, Louis T. Orr the second Vice President of the Chicago Real Estate Board, advocated for the cooperation of all interests towards an extensive building program. Claiming it was the only solution to the build shortage and for landlords to combat the proposed legislation at Springfield, which was supported by tenants. The board also called for the punishing of labor, building material and building contractors, which were alleged to be in an illegal cartel to keep prices up. A large meeting by the Chicago Tenants' Protective league was also held that night. With more than a hundred turned away at the door. A. E. Jessurun, secretary of the league advising tenants' 'stand pat' and fight the landlords in the court come May 1, Chicago's set moving day for those without written leases.general Similar to New York City's moving day The league had also previously called for a legislative committee to be appointed in Springfield to investigate building conditions in Chicago. On March 6, thousands of tenants demonstrated on the North Side, on Sheridan road, stopping traffic. The demonstration was sparked by a conflict between tenant Dr. L.C.H.E. Zeigler and landlord Dr. Joseph Watry. Joseph had raised rent from $135 to $225 a month (equivalent to $US 135 1921 c $ to $US 225 1921 c $ in 2023).left A Battle of Placards.png Guns in a Sun Porch.png right vertical Chicago Tribune; March 7, 1921 Chicago Tribune; March 21, 1921 infobox In response Ziegler removed two windows from the front sun parlor, replacing them with a sign saying they would accept rent at $135 as their best offer and attaching the landlords notice of the rent raise. Then Dr.Watry put a sign in his window saying that Ziegler's apartment was for rent after April 30. This then lead to the demonstration as people rallied around Ziegler and stopped their cars.March 7, 1921 Rent War Signs Halt Traffic in Sheridan Road: Two Doctors, Owner and Tenant, Air Opinions https://www.newspapers.com/image/354893273/?terms=rent%20war&match=1 2024-04-05 wikipedialibrary.wmflabs.org Chicago Daily Tribune enMarch 7, 1921 Rent War Ties Up Traffic in Chicago Street: Thousands Voice Opinions of Alleged Profiteering Landlords https://www.newspapers.com/image/90287874/?terms=rent%20war&match=1 2024-04-05 wikipedialibrary.wmflabs.org Herald and Review en At one point Dr. Zeigler was cheered and induced to make a speech stating his case. On March 20, Dr. Ziegler, who was in conflict with his landlord, had their sign stolen and added the following sign to their window in response, "Warning – This sign is hung with hairspring automatic guns suspended at each corner and can be discharged only by an attempt to steal the sign again."general Shown pictured to the right The claimed guns were yet to be installed in the window at the time. They also offered a $100 reward (US 100 1921 eq $) for an information leading to the conviction of the person(s) who stole the sign. On March 7, the Chicago Federation of Labor passed a resolution condemning profiteering landlords and also directed their legislative committee to write a bill for presentation at Springfield with cooperation with the tenants' league if possible. That day several additional apartments were also organized by the Chicago Tenants' Protective League. There was also an announcement of the final plans for the March 16 junket at Springfield when the Kessingergeneral Named after its sponsor Harold Kessinger Enabling Act for City Rent Commissions would come up to a hearing. The Kissinger rental bill were a set of a few different proposed bills surrounding landlord-tenant law in Illinois, in an attempt to address the crisis. The two main provisions were: Tenant right to trial by jury, even if waived in the lease. Giving municipal court judges the ability to grant tenants a stay up to six months before executing a forcible detainer. During which tenants would still be responsible for rent, charged at the same rate as one month before the leases expiration. The second provision would in effect allow tenants to delay an increase in rent for up to six months, providing temporary relief. In the interest of the passage of these bills, the CPTL organized for another mass rent strike come May 1, 1921. Initially legislators promised to vote on the bill before then hoping to avoid the strike. The right to a jury trial was passed and signed by Governor Len Small before May 1. However the second measure would later be delayedEnough of the legislature failed to show up for a planned vote on April 27, causing the delay. till after May 1. On March 21, each interested group were preparing for the upcoming legislative session on the Kessinger bill the next day. One of the 12 member CPTL rent committee that planned to attend the session, was the Evanston News-Index which opposed their high commercial rents. Further organizing of tenants by the CTPL in South Evanston with at least 500 members expected to join over the next few weeks.March 21, 1921 Tenants Enlist Evanston Corps For Rent Battle: State Solons to Hear Realtors Tomorrow https://www.newspapers.com/image/355005676/?terms=rent%20war&match=1 2024-04-05 wikipedialibrary.wmflabs.org Chicago Tribune en The city government also prepared for impending rent strike. Stationing extra police outside apartment buildings, and municipal court judges holding an emergency meeting to plan for handling the high number of eviction orders expected after the start of the strike. An additional issue for tenants was landlords failing to comfortably heat tenant apartments or not repairing broken heating.October 12, 1921 A Record Day in the Renters Court: Rent War Climax https://www.newspapers.com/image/354889604/?terms=rent%20war&match=1 2024-04-05 wikipedialibrary.wmflabs.org Chicago Tribune enOctober 1, 1920 44 Families Kept Homeless by Union Row. Complain about Cold Flats https://www.newspapers.com/image/355174719/ 2024-04-30 wikipedialibrary.wmflabs.org Chicago Tribune en Passing of Kessinger Laws and crackdown on building labor trades American Plan (union negotiations) By March 24, the department of internal revenue had begun making a list of apartment buildings with 'rent war signs' to locate landlords who failed to list rent increases in their income tax schedules. After which several landlords voluntarily appeared for this claiming it was a simple mistake.March 24, 1921 U.S. Lists Rent War Flats; Tax Dodgers Hunted: Some Landlords Admit "Error" in Income https://www.newspapers.com/image/355006626/?terms=rent%20war&match=1 2024-04-05 wikipedialibrary.wmflabs.org Chicago Daily Tribune en On March 23, the Dailey Joint Committee was established by the state legislature to investigate the building conditions in Chicago. With one aspect investigating whether any "'unreasonable' rules of unions which load unproductive labor upon the building [cost]." existed.March 24, 1921 Building 'Trust' Inquiry to Begin Here Tomorrow: Rent Commission Bill Appears Doomed. https://www.newspapers.com/image/355006626/?terms=rent%20war&match=1 2024-04-05 wikipedialibrary.wmflabs.org Chicago Daily Tribune en The Kessinger bill(s) had several different laws that had yet to be passed yet:March 30, 1921 Rent Hog Gets Wallop in Bills Passed in Senate: One Measure Gives Tenants 60 Days In Which to Vacate Property https://www.newspapers.com/image/767447025/?terms=rent%20hog&match=1 2024-04-05 Belleville Daily Advocate en wikipedialibrary.wmflabs.orgRast Joel Stephen The origins of the dual city: housing, race, and redevelopment in twentieth-century Chicago 2019 The University of Chicago Press 978-0-226-66144-5 Chicago London To enable cities to establish rent commissions, to fix just and reasonable rents. To give tenants a 60-day grace period to stay on the property after receiving a notice to vacate. To allow judges to grant a six months stay of execution in eviction cases, applying to cities and villages but exempting farm land. To remove the 'double penalty' for a tenant who holds over, staying past their lease date. A double penalty, is rent charged at twice the usual rate, for time over the lease expiration. The last two were expected to pass, while the first was predicted to die in the house by the Chicago Tribune. The Kessinger rent commission law passed the senate on March 23. The real estate board said they believed it would be killed in the house, blaming the Building Trades Council of Chicago, claiming their influence would be the cause of its failure to pass. E. A. Potter, one of the leaders of the Building Trades Council of Chicago, refuted this claim. Stating, "The rank and file of the building trade are also renters and are as much in need of this legislation as any of the white collared workers." On March 30, two of the Kessinger laws were passed. One gave tenants uncontested legal right to stay on the property up to 60 days from receiving a notice to vacate. The second gave tenants right to a jury trial, when their right to continue living in an apartment was at stake. The Specter In Many Homes.png Chicago Tribune; April 2, 1921 topOn April 1, the Chicago Building Trades Council unanimously agreed to put up the Contractors' businesses association request to make a 25% reduction in wages up to a vote by their membership. Putting up this proposal to a vote had been rejected twice before by the building trades council.April 2, 1921 Union Chiefs Act to Start Housing Boom: Men Sure to Accept, Contractors Say. https://www.newspapers.com/image/354874040/ 2024-04-05 wikipedialibrary.wmflabs.org Chicago Daily Tribune en On April 2, it was reported that Chicago tenants planning to move on the May 1 moving day were having trouble finding moving vans companies who were still available. One core issue was the un-sureness on whether residencies a tenant planned to move into would still be occupied by a striking tenant. Leaving the moving company unsure where to store the furniture.April 2, 1921 Rent War Gets Van Men's Nerve: Fear Troublous Tenants; Shy at Moving Jobs https://www.newspapers.com/image/354874040/ 2024-04-05 wikipedialibrary.wmflabs.org Chicago Daily Tribune en On April 8, a majority of the Chicago Building Trades Councils' unions, voted against accepting the 25% wage cut.April 9, 1921 Half of Union Builders Balk at Cut In Pay: Must Come by May 1, Contractors Say. https://www.newspapers.com/image/354878015/ 2024-04-25 wikipedialibrary.wmflabs.org Chicago Tribune en Strike On May 1, the rent strike began. With tenants of the Chicago Tenants Protective league given last minute instructions by their generals to resist all efforts by landlords to evict them illegally and report any attempts to their local headquarters. The next morning thousands of eviction filings were made by landlords. Tenants stated they would demand jury trials for every case.May 2, 1921 Landlord and Tenant Tug of War on Today https://www.newspapers.com/image/354870471/?terms=rent%20war&match=1 2024-04-05 wikipedialibrary.wmflabs.org Chicago Daily Tribune en The rent strike by tenants operated in the form of paying the previous rent amount agreed too before the raise, sent through registered delivery mail or in the presence of witnesses. All cases had the payment rejected by landlords. The first settlements happened among tenants and landlords on the first day of the strike on East 67th Place. The landlord, instead of increasing rent of $50/month apartments to $70/month and $55/month apartments to $75/month; They agreed to instead raise them to $60/month and $65/month respectively. It was also reported that many landlords were waiting for the outcome of the six month Kessinger stay law on May 3, before deciding how to respond. Likely making compromises with tenants if it passes. Their Mansion Is The Sky.png Chicago Tribune; May 7, 1921 top 44 additional tenants from West Madison street also joined the rent strike last minute on May 2 after being faced with a 40% rent increase. During the CPTL's time in Springfield to lobby for the passage of the six-month stay law, they were met with parade upon arrival by the local "Anti-Gougers" league and a band. Indicative of the racism present at the time, and the CPTL's largely white middle class nature:145–146 "Bringing up the rear [of the parade] on the way to the state house was a colored man with a canvas smock inscribed 'Rent Hog.' He was cuffed and dragged—mock stuff—all the way up to the steps and earned his $10 all right." Chicago Tribune On May 3, the six month Kessinger stay law passed the house by a close vote, 104 to 29, which was only two votes above the 102 vote minimum to pass due to the emergency clauses that existed in the legislation. The CPTL presented Governor Small with a gold pen the group had purchased, which Small accepted signing the bill in front of cameras.146–147 On May 3, it was reported that striking tenants on the whole were largely winning concessions from landlords following the start of the May 1 rent strikes. In several cases landlords agreed to cut their increases by half or sometimes, by two thirds. In Edgewater alone around 400 to 500 tenants were on strike. In the case of the Edgewater tenants, for those still faced with eviction cases where the landlord didn't initially relent; 56 of the 150 had already been settled out of court, where landlords offered to compromise. Moving van men of the city also reported difficulties, as often they would show up to an apartment to help a new tenant move in, only to find the apartment still occupied by a striking tenant. In total, as of May 3, more than 600 eviction cases had been filed in the Municipal court. The clerk of court, James A. Kearns reported that they expected to receive more than 4,000 eviction cases during the month.May 3, 1921 Flats Vacant In Rent War's Wake: Many Landlords Slash Price to Get Tenants https://www.newspapers.com/image/354870796/?terms=rent%20war&match=1 2024-04-05 Chicago Tribune en wikipedialibrary.wmflabs.org The tenants of the CPTL heavily celebrated the winning of the six-month stay law, with a festival planned for May 12 announced. President of the league Patterson stated, "We intend to make the carnival the biggest event ever known in the history of Chicago tenants... "[the] new laws will protect us from profiteers."147 Racism and Segregation Buchanan v. Warley 55On May 4, 1921 the Chicago Real Estate Board voted unanimously to enforce racial covenants, to make it so the punishment for selling a property to a black family in white neighborhoods would be immediate expulsion from the board.MADEO May 4, 1921 Chicago Real Estate Board Votes to Expel Members Who Sell to Black Families https://calendar.eji.org/racial-injustice/may/4 2025-07-30 calendar.eji.org enMay 13, 1921, page 8 - The Black Dispatch at Newspapers.com - Newspapers.com https://www.newspapers.com/image/657624103/ 2025-08-02 www.newspapers.com enMay 05, 1921, page 1 - Chicago Tribune at Newspapers.com - Newspapers.com https://www.newspapers.com/image/354871643/ 2025-08-02 www.newspapers.com en This existed within the context of a supreme court ruling a few years earlier that made it illegal to use police power to segregate, so in response real estate associations increasingly adopted contracts to enforce and further implement segregation.Crowell Amber R. 2022-03-04 Renting under racial capitalism: residential segregation and rent exploitation in the United States https://doi.org/10.1080/02732173.2022.2068101 Sociological Spectrum 42 2 95–118 10.1080/02732173.2022.2068101 0273-2173 subscription Rothstein Richard The Color of Law: a Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America 2017 Liveright Publishing Corporation 978-1-63149-285-3 1st Erscheinungsort nicht ermittelbar Racial segregation served as a financial tool under racial capitalism as a means to extract further profit through economic exploitation, argues academics Amber R. Crowell and Michael Thomas Kelly.Thomas Kelly Michael https://surface.syr.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?params=/context/thesis/article/1537/&path_info=SUOA_341392181_KELLY_MICHAEL_8_4_2021.pdf Running with the Land: Racial Capitalism, Restrictive Covenants, and the Pre-redlining Roots of the Private Real Estate Market in Syracuse, New York July 16, 2021 Syracuse University This time period was marked by an increasing consolidation, corporatization, professionalization, and coordination of Real estate interests. President of the Real Estate Association of NY would speak in 1907, claiming one reason for coordination among real estate interest was for the guarding against “enormous foreign immigration and the low order of intelligence among the vast number of our newly made citizens". These actions also existed in the context of the rent strikes. A connection between racialized groups - Eastern European immigrants during the late 1800s and early 1900s, Chinese and Japanese immigrants, and Black Americans- as instigators of class conflict were often espoused by leaders within Real Estate; In Buffalo, NY on 1917 the National Real Estate Association VP expressed such sentiments, warning against “the collectivism being preached by socialists and foreign influences in limiting if not absolutely destroying private property”.National Association of Real Estate Boards 1920 The national real estate journal. https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/100898155 v. Similarly, within the context of the 1918-20 New York City Rent strikes, The National Real Estate Journal quotes a NYC municipal judge in its 1920 publication, where the judge calls on the need to control tenant organizing: "As I go through the East Side, I hear Bolshevism preached on the street corners and from the tails of trucks… I know that if this poisonous virus is not removed these people will be able to lead this great mob… into anarchy, riot and revolt. If they succeed in their plans to organize 250,000 families in this city into leagues impregnated with the poison of Bolshevism, there is no instrumentality of government that can cope with the situation" The greater coordination that occurred between real estate interests and landlords across the US occurred was in part a response to the development of rent strikes in NYC, and later Chicago.Fogelson Robert M. The Great Rent Wars: New York, 1917-1929 2013 Yale University Press 978-0-300-20558-9 New Haven, CT Racial segregation served the interests of both. By constructing highly segregated communities, black residents who on average were poorer could be exploited for greater profits based on their economic vulnerability; And by closing off the option of home ownership to Black tenants, higher rents could be charged. In addition the segregation by race impeded the ability for broad base working class solidarity and organizing, coordinating off those considered a potential organizing threat from resources. As Running with the Land states, "For city, state, and national real estate associations, 'cooperation' meant cooperating in a shared class interest, against communism, taxation on real estate transactions, and tenants or workers who posed economic threats."National Association of Real Estate Boards 1910 The national real estate journal. https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/100898155 v. Dailey Commission 5The Dailey Commission which was established on March 23 to investigate the cause of the building shortage and high rents;March 24, 1921 Building 'Trust' Inquiry to Begin Here Tomorrow: Rent Commission Bill Appears Doomed. https://www.newspapers.com/image/355006626/?terms=rent%20war&match=1 2024-04-05 Chicago Daily Tribune en wikipedialibrary.wmflabs.org Became a major part of the public discourse around the housing crisis in Chicago. The committee held meetings until its conclusion in June 1921, during its operation it mainly focused on testimony from those in the building industry who claimed graft and corruption within labor unions and contractors. From which it concluded that it played the biggest role in the housing crisis. The extent of union corruption was likely exaggerated by committee, however documented evidence did show that a number of Chicago unions had worked with contractors to use only local unionized labor. The commission did call on landlords of the Chicago Real Estate Board during its operation to answer rumors they had conspired against new building operations to maintain high rents, however the focus of the commission remain squarely on view labor as the main source of the crisis. The practices of labor unions within the craft & trades industries was reflective of broader struggle between their traditional protective actions and nationwide companies pursuit of profit & streamlining through the division of labor. The origin of the word rackteering was reflective of this, it was coined in 1927 by a professional strikebreaker in 1927 to condemn leaders of craft organizations in Chicago.9 The practices of the trades ensured job stability, & relative independence was prioritized over pure efficiency or profit within local businesses, while the consolidating and monopolizing corporate sector was in direct opposition with this economic order. Nationwide corporations remained at the forefront of this fight, the streamlining of labor threatened to break up the bargaining power of those in the traditionally skilled craft sectors. The crafts typically took years for a single person to learn every aspect, which corporations intended to divide into a set of divided simple tasks, where no one worker knew how to do the entire process. This reduced the bargaining power of workers in two ways: by making them more easily replaceable, and preventing workers from being independent or self employed by virtue of not knowing how to do the whole process. Tenant organizations such as the CPTL for their part, praised U.S. District Attorney Charles F. Clyne for indicting union officials and contractors for graft. The sensationalism of the labor practices within the building trades by the committee provided ammunition to organizations like the Building Construction Employeers Association (BCEA) and the Associated Builders, Chicago's most powerful contractors organizations, to attack the labor trades and claim them as an enemy to middle class tenants and "the public". Which it would use to defend its attempt to reduce the ways of workers in May, 1921, leading to a lockout of workers and court proceedings. The Landis Award Kenesaw Mountain Landis#Building trades award, controversy, and resignation (1920–1922) 5Building trades lockout Chicago general building trades lockout Curse of the Cubs.png Public notice published in April 1923 urging a labor boycott of the Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs, and opposing the Landis building trades award 1921 5 1 - 1921 6 14 Chicago, Illinois Attempt by employers to reduce minimum wage rates: $1.25 to $1.00 an hour for skilled trades $1.00 to 70¢ an hour for unskilled trades Landis Award decision Chicago Building Trades Council Direct: Building Construction Employers' Association of Chicago Associated Builders Support: 'Citizens Committee to Enforce the Landis Award' Chicago Association of Commerce Illinois Manufacturers Association National Manufacturers Association Associated General Contractors of America 10,000 union workers 10Following several months of failed negotiations between the Building Construction Employers Association (BCEA), the Associated Builders and the workers' Building Trade Council (BTC) in early 1921. The BCEA & Associated Builders started a contractor lockout against the workers.Montgomery Royal E. 1926 The Landis Arbitration and Award https://www.jstor.org/stable/2354794 The University Journal of Business 4 3 260–293 1525-6979 The contractors had been demanding a reduction in wages for both the skilled and unskilled trades, a 25¢/hour (US .25 1921 0 eq) reduction for the skilled trades and a 30¢/hour (US .30 1921 0 eq) reduction for the unskilled trades. The contractors publicly blamed labor unions and the current wage rates for the housing shortage, with the claim a reduction in wages would spur new housing construction across the city. However this was also part of a far broader open shop drive throughout the entire country across every industry, to remove wage minimums and destroy union membership broadly. On January 21, 1921, the Building Trades Council had voted to opposed the reductions by the contractors. With this the Employers started their lockout of 10,000 building trade workers on May 1 putting them out of work, a month before the unions contract was set to expire.May 18, 1921 Employers Agree to Arbitrate Dispute https://www.newspapers.com/image/69184777/?match=1&terms=building%20trades%20lockout 2025-04-11 Newspapers.com The Pantagraph en This lockout lasted for six weeks, until June 11 when the joint arbitration boards of the BCEA and BTC agreed to Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis as the arbitrator to settle it. The workers returned to work three days after Landis was agreed upon as the arbitrator, at the previously agreed upon rates until Landis' decision on wages. 5Court decision 10Landis had a complicated relationship to both unions and employers.Labor Publication Society https://archive.org/details/v11n01-jan-1922-LA/page/11/mode/2up?view=theater Labor Age (Vol. 11, No. 1) - January 1922 January 1922 Landis was both a federal judge and a fresh commissioner of Major League Baseball. He had both famously fined Standard Oil $29,240,000, the maximum penalty he could impose & the largest fine a corporation had received to date, and at the same time had heavily prosecuted socialists and labor leaders during his time on the bench.Pietrusza David David Pietrusza https://archive.org/details/judgejurylifetim0000piet Judge and Jury: The Life and Times of Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis Diamond Communications 1998 978-1-888698-09-1 South Bend, Indiana Pietrusza registration Originally the agreement for arbitration was on the basis of only settling the wage dispute.Jul 21, 1921 Landis Orders Builders to Fix Uniform Pact; Holds up Wage Award till Agreement is Made https://www.newspapers.com/image/355098483/?match=1&terms=judge%20landis%20work%20rules 2025-04-30 Newspapers.com Chicago Tribune en However Judge Landis, after starting arbitration refused to set wages until he was permitted to go into each unions working rules. Demanding copies for all agreements and working rules from the Building Trades Council. Which President Kearney of the council acquiesced to, despite the majority opposition by the union leaders in the council. On July 20, 1921, Judge Landis announced that he would require that all working rules and labor contracts had to upended and take a "new uniform form" approved by him. Several unions dropped out of arbitration during this process. Among the announcement in July were several of the proposed guidelines, which among other aspects fined a union (minimum fine of $25, US 25 1921 0 eq) for striking in response to a nonunion worker present on the job. On September 7, 1921, the arbitration award was formally announced. The events following the Landis Award abruptly shattered the balance of power that had existed between organized contractors & organized workers from 1911 to 1921. The award was a byproduct of a broader movement by corporations to destroy unions, known as the open shop American plan, and Landis' decision was likely influenced by the findings of the Dailey commission and was mentioned in the decision. The heart of the open shop movement started in Chicago. The American Employers' Open Shop Association, which coordinated the broader movements by corporations against unions in the US, had its headquarters established in Chicago. The award significantly altered work rules, to an effectively open shop principle, hostile to union organizing. It gave contractors the ability to hire non-union workers, if union workers were not found within four days and prohibited workers from striking in response to non-union workers on a job-site. It also set what a union could negotiate for, preventing a union from negotiating a max hour limit for workers. It also massively reduced wage scales. Reducing skilled trade wages between 10 and 42% and reducing each one of the unskilled trades between 13 and 52.5%. The wages also were not a minimum wage, as previously established by labor unions, but instead a maximum wage, where corporations would be fined by the city if they exceeded the wage rate, this dramatically decreased union workers income. Landis had cut wages to less than employers had offered to pay workers. One additionally controversial aspect of Landis' Award is that he gave 'would be reductions' for unions in the city not subject to the arbitration, overstepping his legal authority. 5Response 10Chicago labor unions were outraged by the Landis decision, refusing to abide by the award. Many of the unions also immediately appealed for a rehearing. In response, Judge Lands promised if by December 8, 1921, unions had removed certain provisions in their contracts that he still objected to he would rehear their cases. Ten unions agreed to this, of which only two were granted wage increases compared to the previous Landis award. This second decision was on January 31, 1922. "Judge Landis, with no building trade experience, after considering the situation for the short period of three months during which time he was occupied on the bench, giving some attention to his job as chief baseball umpire, some at playing golf... [mandated] impractical and unjust working rules." Chicago Federation of Labor 5Citizens Committee 10Judge Landis found himself completely unable to actually enforce the arbitration decision, and unions openly refused to agree to such demands. In response to this on November 15, 1921, the Citizens Committee To Enforce The Landis Award (CCELA) was formed by Chicago businessmen associated with the Chicago Association of Commerce. The organization claimed to represent Chicago citizens;150–151 But was actually composed of 176 wealthy bankers, manufacturers, merchants, and others of the business owner class.150–151Is He Growing to Big for Them , May 11, 1922.png Chicago Tribune; May 11, 1922 top The CCELA used language to appeal to middle class residents, in attempt to turn them against organized labor. In one such pamphlet released by the organization, organized labor was compared to the snake in the Garden of Eden, and accused it of betraying 'the public'.K. Holsman Henry Parlette Ralph 1922 Giant We-the-People and Judge Landis' award by Henry K. Holsman and Ralph Parlette https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uiuo.ark:/13960/t18k76c2f&seq=9 2025-04-17 HathiTrust en The organization claimed its purpose was to "protect against strikes, graft, sabotage and boycotting of materials" following the findings of the Dailey commission.150–151 The CCELA also used more than press releases to serve building companies interests under the logic of enforcing the Landis Award; The organization arranged building contractors to make job bids when competition seemed insufficient, spied and exposed people and groups who did not follow the award, encouraged companies to only work with firms under the Landis Award terms, brought in building strikebreakers from outside Chicago to replace strikers, and hired around 700 private militia guards to 'protect' work sites.152 The use of a 'Citizens Committee''' as a method of enforcing open shop decisions, and assisting corporations in subverting labor union demands, was not unique to Chicago. Such committees formed all over the country from Chicago to Cleveland, San Francisco, Detroit and Passaic. Most commonly they developed out antilabor drives by individual employers associations, in an attempt to draw the rest of the business owner class into a war on trade unions.42 In addition to Citizens Committee's a more subtle and permanent form of organizations were the Citizens Alliances, which were open shop associations established to maintain non-union shops in certain industries, rather than openly fight against currently union dominated industries.71 Based on a study of building insurance records, its indicated that in the time period potentially more than 85% of building in Cook County occurred under Landis Award guidelines.152–153 The Landis Award eventually expired in 1926, with new agreements signed between the BTC and the Employers, with practically all features objectionable to labor of the Landis Decision removed.67–69 By the end of the 1920s the Chicago building trades union membership still remained strong, but operated in an increasingly hostile environment due to the anti union drives by employers.152–153 5Labor bombings Landis Award Plant Bombed. May 10, 1922.png Chicago Tribune; May 10, 1922 top10In response to the Landis award, some craft labor unions responded with targeted bombings of Landis award worksites.2, 96 One of the most well known Chicago labor leader indicative of this was "Big Tim" D. Murphy, in 1922 he stood trial for allegedly killing policeman Thomas Clark during a bombing of a worksite.228 However, this indictment was eventually dropped by the state."200 Labor Chiefs Arrested in Chicago After Two Policemen Are Shot Dead And Industrial Plants Are Bombed," New York Times, May 11, 1922; "Labor Chiefs Seized in Effort to End Murders by Gangsters," Chicago Daily Tribune, May 11, 1922; "Rush To Indict Chicago Laborites," New York Times, May 12, 1922; "Eight Labor Chiefs Indicted In Chicago To Block Release," New York Times, May 12, 1922; "Raid Bomb Factory in Chicago's War On Labor Terror," New York Times, May 13, 1922; "Get New Evidence On Labor Bombings," New York Times, May 15, 1922; "'Big 3' of Chicago Labor To Be Tried," New York Times, June 10, 1922; "Shea, Member of 'Big 3,' And Two Others Get Bail," Chicago Daily Tribune, June 13, 1922; "'Big 3' Denied Separate Trials On Terror Plot," Chicago Daily Tribune, June 18, 1922; Kinsley, "Trial Nears Climax," Chicago Daily Tribune, July 29, 1922.Aug 2, 1922 Chicago Tribune State Closes Case in Labor Bombing Trial; Tell of Finding Dynamite in Home of Miller https://www.newspapers.com/image/355175938/?match=1&terms=labor%20bombings 2025-04-27 Newspapers.com en Murphy was a popular union official, and in 1920 explained his view on the labor movement as follows: "A man that can't fight don't amount to much [because] they don't use boxing gloves in the labor movement, they use Smith and Wessons."228 The Labor Age'' a progressive pro-union magazine from the time had the following opinion on the situation;Labor Publication Society https://archive.org/details/v11n06-jun-1922-LA/page/16/mode/2up?view=theater Labor Age (Vol. 11, No. 6) - June 1922 June 1922 That such bombings were only indicative of a small portion of workers, who were antithetical to the radical or progressive rank & file unionists that made up the unions. It also called out the hypocrisy of such calls, mentioning the West Virginia coal wars where miners were on trial for treason, after company mercenaries and the US Government had dropped bombs on the strikers, but themselves were not on trial despite their violence against workers.Chicago Labor Leaders Seized on Murder Charge.png Chicago Tribune; June 9, 1922 topThe magazine goes on to quote an opinion by The Rank and File, a Pacific Coast labor publication: "Big Tim Murphy, Fred Mader and Con Shea are in jail, charged with murder. Any worker who knows the role of grafting and corruption that they have played these many years has no love for [them]...2The charge of murder rests upon the flimsy evidence that 'somebody'. killed a cop and that 'somebody' planted a bomb. Big Tim is held responsible because he said: 'If the Citizens' Committee continues its attack upon organized labor much longer, I will not be able to restrain the men from violence.' That is his crime...2 Their eagerness to rush a trial suggests frame-up. In every frame-up delay is fatal. 'Make them swing for it first, and find out who did it afterwards,' is the attitude of Big Business in Chicago. And in the meantime use the harlot press to create an atmosphere which will make it easy for us to destroy the entire Chicago labor movement." Bomb Cubs Park.png Chicago Tribune; Oct. 15, 1923 top 160 The bombing Murphy was on trial for occurred on the morning of May 10, 1922 when the Tyler & Hippach garage and the Henneberry Printing Plant were bombed in Chicago, during which two police officers were killed in shootings and one injured. After these bombing "Big Tim" Murphy was arrested, on suspicion of being involved.May 10, 1922 2 Policemen Dead in Labor War; Orders Sent Out by Chief to Arrest Three Labor Leaders https://www.newspapers.com/image/756399667/?match=1&terms=two%20policemen 2025-04-28 Newspapers.com The Macomb Daily By-Stander enMay 10, 1922 Chicago in Throes of Labor War; Two Policemen, Shot to Death, Plants Bombed https://www.newspapers.com/image/339584602/?match=1&terms=two%20policemen 2025-04-28 Newspapers.com Moline Daily Dispatch enMay 10, 1922 Two Policemen Killed in Chicago Labor War; Three Buildings Dynamited in Addition to the Murder in Resentment against Wage Awards by Judge Landis https://newspapers.library.in.gov/?a=d&d=DCDD19220510.1.1&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN------- 2025-04-27 newspapers.library.in.gov Decatur Daily Democrat Twenty-three union members were arrested by the police following the bombing, as police suspect the motivation for the bombing was to fight the Landis Award, by bombing Landis award worksites.May 10, 1922 Two Chicago Police Officers are Killed; Manufacturing Plants Bombed During Night, City is Armed Camp https://www.newspapers.com/image/543554740/?match=1&terms=two%20policemen 2025-04-28 Newspapers.com Streator Daily Free Press en In addition to these two plants, shortly after midnight the Harp and Partridge Glass plant was also bombed.May 10, 1922 Kill 2 Police in Labor War; Bomb Hurlers Slay in Wild Dash to Escape, Aim Blast at Landis Award Buildings https://www.newspapers.com/image/355084582/?match=1&terms=two%20policemen 2025-04-28 Newspapers.com Chicago Tribune en A day later, the police held a mass raid on unions across Chicago, arresting somewhere between 100 and 400 labor leader reportedly in connection with the bombings.May 11, 1922 $60,000 Reward for Killers; Two Partly Identified, Suspects Pack Jails https://www.newspapers.com/image/355084825/?match=1&terms=two%20policemen 2025-04-28 Newspapers.com Chicago Tribune enMay 11, 1922 Chicago Is Stirred By Labor War; Scores Arrested, $60,000 Reward Out for Cop Killers https://www.newspapers.com/image/436457976/?match=1&terms=two%20policemen 2025-04-28 Newspapers.com The Rock Island Argus en In addition to the labor bombings of worksites, the Chicago White Sox's Comisky Park and Chicago Cubs Wrigley Field were targeted. Both were being repainted by non-union Landis award painters and also had connections to Kenesaw Landis himself, as when he wasn't serving as a judge he was a MLB baseball commissioner. Comisky park was bombed once on April 22, 1923, and later on October 14 Wrigley field was bombed. There was also an unexploded bomb found on April 17 outside Chicago Cubs Wrigley Field by police.2018-05-28 Judge Landis and the Forgotten Chicago Baseball Bombings https://jacobpomrenke.com/black-sox/judge-landis-and-the-forgotten-chicago-baseball-bombings/ 2025-04-27 Jacob Pomrenke en The labor bombings continued in the following years.May 11, 1924 Collin Plans Drastic War on Bomb Gangsters; Aroused by Increase of Blast Outrages. https://www.newspapers.com/image/355066677/?match=1&terms=labor%20bombings 2025-04-27 Newspapers.com Chicago Tribune enDec 4, 1925 Labor Leaders and Others Named in New Bombing Indictments https://www.newspapers.com/image/355200067/ 2025-04-27 Newspapers.com Chicago Tribune en In 1925 alone, 99 bombings had been reported occurring in the city.Dec 11, 1925 Press and Attorney Make Lying Charges in Attempt to Pin Chicago Bombs on Labor https://www.newspapers.com/image/898853705/?match=2&terms=labor%20bombings 2025-04-27 Newspapers.com Twin City Review en Tail-end of rent strike A Record Day in The Renters Court.png Chicago Tribune; October 12, 1921 top 200 With the passage of the Kessinger Laws, the activity of tenant strikes wound down in the city. Instead tenants relied on taking their cases to court for the 6-month extension of rent at the previous leases rate. The passage of the laws was actively celebrated On October 11 alone a record 210 rent cases were heard that day. The countrywide housing shortage, caused by WW1 buildup, would also eventually ease.2 Aftermath 1931 Chicago housing protests Kessinger laws Chicago Tenants Protective League ad, August 7, 1921.png CTPL Ad; August 7, 1921 top 180The rent strike precipitated the passage of several laws collectively known as the Kessinger laws. The ones that successfully passed were the following: Tenant right to trial by jury, even if waived in the lease. To give tenants an automatic 60 day grace period to stay on the property after receiving a notice to vacate. To allow judges to grant a six months stay of execution in eviction cases, applying to cities and villages but exempting farm land. The last of which was considered the most important to tenants, providing significant, if temporary financial relief. In the short term building tenants who participated in the Chicago rent strikes also often won rent concessions and reduction from their landlords. Challenge to labor The rent strikes brought considerable attention to the housing shortage within Chicago, and subsequently at the Chicago building trades through the investigations by the Dailey commission. While not precipitating the 'American Open Shop' plan, organizations such as the Building Construction Employers Association (BCEA), the Associated Builders, utilized the shortage in appealing to middle class city residents in their war on labor. While not successful in destroying labor trade unions within the Chicago, the Landis Award and CCELA still brought a formidable challenge to unions' power within the city. Chicago operated as the testing grounds for what would lead to a mass decline in union membership in the US from 5.1 million in 1920 to 3.6 million in 1929.Kochan, Thomas A. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED247439 Worker Participation and American Unions. Threat or Opportunity?. 1984 9780880990226 en etal Heat health ordinance Spanish flu#Post-pandemic Alongside the Kessinger bill laws, the rent strikes also brought in the passing of the city's first tenant heat laws.2021-04-30 Progress by Degrees: A History of the Chicago Heat Ordinance The RentConfident Blog - RentConfident, Chicago IL https://blog.rentconfident.com/2823/progress-by-degrees-a-history-of-the-chicago-heat-ordinance/ 2024-04-11 https://web.archive.org/web/20210430034732/https://blog.rentconfident.com/2823/progress-by-degrees-a-history-of-the-chicago-heat-ordinance/ 2021-04-30 A similar provision had been enacted in New York City in 1918 following a prolonged set of rent strikes that lasted into 1920.Copeland Sara Katherine 2000 "Down with the landlords" : tenant activism in New York City, 1917-1920 https://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/65254 Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. Of Urban Studies and Planning 1721.1/65254 Thesis 25Day Jared N. Urban castles: tenement housing and landlord activism in New York City, 1890 - 1943 1999 Columbia University Press 978-0-231-11402-8 The Columbia history of urban life New York. 109 The fight for a heat law that set a minimum temperature requirement for apartments, began in 1920 when it started going through city council with a minimum of 70 °C year round temperature for flats where landlords provided the heat.December 4, 1920 Clash Expected At Hearing On Flat Heat Bill https://www.newspapers.com/image/355262758/?match=1&terms=heat%20ordinance 2024-04-11 wikipedialibrary.wmflabs.org Chicago Tribune en After significant lobbying by the Chicago Board of Realtors (CREB) to weaken the proposed law and the Chicago Tenants League attempting to push back on their attempts;October 4, 1921 Tenants Retain Flats and Take Griefs To Judge: Only 8,000 in 435,000 Moved, League Says. https://www.newspapers.com/image/354886209/?match=1&terms=heat%20ordinance 2024-04-11 wikipedialibrary.wmflabs.org Chicago Tribune en In 1920 the proposed temperature was lowered to 68 °C and only from October 1 to April 1. This change was criticized by the Chicago Tenants League with J. R. Patterson president of the league describing landlords who don't provide proper heat as no different than "thieves and robbers".December 28, 1921 Love Flees Cold Flats, Tenants' Leader Argues: Heated Charges Fly in Heat Ordinance Fight https://www.newspapers.com/image/354940800/?match=1&terms=heat%20ordinance 2024-04-11 wikipedialibrary.wmflabs.org Chicago Tribune en In addition to the CREB, the Chicago Flat Janitors' union lobbied against a minimum temperature overnight, given it would require them to wake up in the middle of the night to fuel furnaces. In June 1922, after a previous failure to pass in May;March 16, 1922 Heat Ordinance Fails To Pass City Fathers: Proponents Lacking Only Fives Votes. https://www.newspapers.com/image/354892458/?match=1&terms=heat%20ordinance 2024-04-11 wikipedialibrary.wmflabs.org Chicago Tribune en The heat ordinance passed, set to take effect in October. It May Be Comedy for Some Folks, But It's a Tragedy For Me.png Chicago Tribune; September 20, 1922 bottom 250 The minimum temperature terms (applying from October 1 to April 1) were as follows: 6–7:30 am, 60 °F 7:30–8:30 am, 65 °F 8:30 am–10:30 pm, 68 °F This heat ordinance remains in effect to the modern day with slight modifications, such as now applying from September 15 to June 1. Minimum Heat Requirements (Mun. Code Ch. 13-196) https://www.caapts.org/heat-and-essential-services#:~:text=Chicago's%20Heat%20Ordinance%20requires%20that,p.m.%20to%208:30%20a.m. 2024-10-15 www.caapts.org Chicagoland Apartment Association An additional aspect of the law was setting a minimum temperature of factories and workshops at 68 °F all day. In September 1922, Chicago was also hit by a cold snap which caused pervasive illness among tenants, but they were left with no legal recourse due to the month limitations of when the law applied in the year.September 20, 1922 Cold Flat Law Joker Found as Four Complain: Can't Enforce Heat Ac Until October 1 https://www.newspapers.com/image/355089377/ 2024-04-30 wikipedialibrary.wmflabs.org Chicago Tribune en In December, the first court judgements against landlords for violating the heat law were made, with Margert Burke a landlord fined $25 (US 25 1922 eq) and the court costs by the municipal court for the violation.December 7, 1922 Fine Landlord $25 In Test Case on New Heat Law https://www.newspapers.com/image/355236786/?match=1&terms=heat%20law 2024-04-11 wikipedialibrary.wmflabs.org Chicago Tribune en See also Organized Labour US strike wave of 1919 2025 Chicago ACTA rent strikes Anti-Rent War Notes general Zones References Category:1920 in Chicago Category:1921 in Chicago Category:1920 protests Category:1921 protests Category:Housing in Chicago Category:Rent strikes