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Social/Solidarity Economy Program
Solidarity Economy Organization in the U.S. Context:
A Think-Paper Towards First Steps
Another Workplace is Possible: Co-ops and Democracy in the Workplace
Melissa Hoover, from the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives, introduces a panel of cooperative workers, asks what the audience members hope to gain from the workshop, and invites audience members to brainstorm initial assumptions about cooperatives.
Melissa discusses the different types of ownership possible within the cooperative structure, as well as explaining several possible patronage systems.
Melissa discusses different models of decision-making, and different ways of structuring hierarchy within a cooperative.
Melissa explains a participatory exercise in which groups of audience members must agree on how to structure a hypothetical house-cleaning cooperative, and shows a diagram of possible cooperative decision-making structures.
The groups present their cooperative structures.
Melissa explains the function of the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives, and gives the example of Cooperative Homecare Associates.
Melissa discusses the benefits of the cooperative-nonprofit structure, and answers questions about cooperative diversity and power differentials within cooperatives, and consensus decision-making and consensus training.
Melissa talks about cooperative regional networks, a panel member talks about the Network of Bay Area Worker Cooperatives (NO BAWC), and Melissa describes new trends in cooperative development – increasing the number of aligned cooperatives, rather than increasing their size. She also speaks about the possible connections between cooperatives and social movements.
Questions are asked about how to incorporate non-workers into the worker cooperative movement, and how cooperatives are trans-nationally networking, and Melissa talks a little about how cooperatives fit into the solidarity economy.