In pricey Portland, Maine, a jury says a former mayor who formed a tenants union can’t be evicted

A jury has concluded that a landlord’s attempt to evict a former mayor of Maine’s largest city who formed a tenants union amounted to retaliation. Thursday’s decision allows Ethan Strimling to remain in his Portland apartment against the landlord’s wishes. The landlord’s lawyer contended efforts to evict Strimling began in 2021 because he was a difficult tenant, not because of his involvement with the tenants union. Portland is dealing with a housing crunch and rent that’s approaching $2,000 for a two-bedroom apartment. Strimling says he hopes the decision “will tell tenants out there that you can join unions and be stronger for it.”