Democracy At Work Institute

Thanks Sen. U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders for supporting the work of the whole worker co-op community in building wealth and equity for all workers. What a great way to kick off The Worker Co-op Conference 2020! #workercoops2020 "I believe very strongly that when we talk about democracy it is not just voting every two years or voting every four years, and ignoring what happens to people 40 hours a week. If we're serious about democracy it means giving people more control over their own lives and that certainly means giving people more control over their own jobs through worker-owned industries."

What lies ahead for many communities is a sustained effort to rebuild and recover economically. But there is no equitable economic recovery without worker ownership. At DAWI, we're announcing Ownership Now for Equitable Recovery, an effort to match the needs of workers locked out of good jobs and ownership opportunities with the urgency and strategic focus demanded by our economic crisis. Join us on Wed., February 17 at 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT to learn more: https://institute....coop/ownershipnow #workerownership #economicrecovery #workercooperatives #ownershipnow

"Early in the spring and through the summer of 2020, Spoke Folks changed their initial course to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. They began delivering food (via bikes) from local food banks to at-risk residents in the community and with grant funding, they were able to provide meal delivery free of charge for local restaurants. In October of 2020 Spoke Folks officially began hauling trash, recycling, and compost for customers. They also offer general hauling services for a ...flat rate of $25/hour, delivery services from the local food co-op, and meal deliveries from a local farm fresh meal program, Foothills Foodworks. Prices for service are in the same range as other trash hauling companies in the area, making Spoke Folks a competitive service with an environmental benefit. Spoke folks has 4 member-owners, 3 of which are founding members: Scott Vlaun, Justin Bondesen, and Jess Cooper. Lu Brown, a Casco native and avid biker, joined Spoke Folks as a steering committee member in the summer of 2020 and quickly became an enthusiastic worker-owner and a main rider."

One of the key reasons we are interested in the cooperative model generally, is that it distributes ownership of the business, so it’s not just one person who can decide to close the business, it’s not just one person who has all of the knowledge about how the business functions, and so in that way we can better retain businesses and jobs in our region, Rachel Meketon, program director of Co-op Dayton, said."

"Worker-owned businesses and other kinds of cooperatives can ignite a local economy in communities that have been economically disenfranchised and suffer from over-policing and high rates of incarceration. Cooperatives offer a democratic business structure and embedded community, a viable opportunity for individuals who are otherwise discriminated against in the job market because they have a criminal record. As Thomas Porter-Smith, a board member with lived experience in the California prison system, explains, Cooperatives offer an accepting environment, where people just getting out can get grounded, build a social network, and at the same time, learn to stand on their own two feet; and they are able to work for the benefit of their loved ones and their community.'

"With 11 years of business growth, @MandelaGrocery is leading the way to help form new worker co-ops in Oakland. Last spring, Mandela Grocery facilitated a 12-week, on-the-job training with founding members of the DEEP Grocery Cooperative in East Oakland. Additionally, Mandela Grocery is supporting a local Black-owned delivery service, Piikup, transition to worker ownership."

Great piece on the Taharka Brothers and what it takes to start a co-op with a shout out to the flourishing cooperative ecosystem in Baltimore, featuring Baltimore Roundtable for Economic Democracy, Red Emma's Bookstore Coffeehouse and more: "Out of 25 current employees at Taharka Brothers, six recently became the first worker-owners of the co-op, and another five are close to joining them. How it works is very important to me, says Detric McCoy, one of those first six. I ...love bringing ideas to the team. Some guys don’t always like every idea but having that debate and coming together to make decisions, compared to a typical business where everyone’s in a position and there’s no voting or anything there’s still structure to it, you have your board members, but everyone has the chance to at least spread their voice compared to traditional work spaces. See more