Alleging landlord neglect, Omaha renters form unions to fight back

Tenants at four Omaha-area apartment complexes voted to unionize this summer, and they all share a common landlord: Minnesota-based Elevate Living.

Now renters with a local landlord are preparing to follow their lead.

Though tenant unions have deep roots in cities like New York and Los Angeles, there’s little precedent in Nebraska for the organizations.

Driving the unionization trend in Omaha is a growing feeling among tenants that landlords are charging more in rent but doing less to address issues at their properties, said Seth Cope, a founding organizer with OTU.