Can you imagine a workplace where power is 100% in the hands of the workers? A workplace without bosses, where managers are elected by the workers and accountable to the workers, and where the excess profit is distributed as the workers see fit? Workplaces where health and safety provisions, wages, and union agreements are negotiated cooperatively among workers with the support of their union’s expertise?
Across the United States, workers are taking control. From homecare providers in the Bronx, to window manufacturing in Chicago, and healthcare workers across California, worker power is being built from the ground up in democratically-operated, worker-owned, unionized cooperatives. While it may be lesser known today, the unionized cooperative model has deep roots in the United States going back to the days of the Knights of Labor in the late 19th century. Now, as labor law has been eroded for decades, unionized worker cooperatives are emerging as an important tool to fight bosses and create workplaces that actually serve workers’ needs.
The US Federation of Worker Cooperatives, United Steelworkers in partnership with Co-op Cincy, SEIU, UFCW, Machinists, and countless other local unions across the country have come together through the union cooperative movement to transform, seize control, and build new democratically operated union cooperative workplaces.
The Union Co-ops Council of the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives is producing resources and materials to help unions navigate this new strategy for growing the labor movement. Join us at UnionCoops.org to get involved as we build towards a new worker-controlled solidarity economy that puts people and the planet first!
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