Catalyzing worker co-ops & the solidarity economy
At November’s Board of Directors meeting, we said farewell and see you soon to Emmanuel Pardilla of the New York City Network of Worker Co-ops and Lucha Luisa Silva of E-Quality Homecare Co-op who finished their terms on the board this month.
As Treasurer during his first year Emmanuel put time and care into understanding our books. He asked great questions to ensure that our financial choices reflected members’ priorities and needs.
Marty Frost, consultant, Devco Development Co-op (British Columbia). Business Succession and Employee Ownership Conference. October 13, 2011 in Quebec City.
O’Donals is widely known and regarded by gardeners, homeowners, and landscapers throughout northern New England. Founded in 1953 by Royce and Selma O’Donal, Jeffrey O’Donal purchased the business from his parents in 2006. Last year, O’Donal announced he was ready to retire, but wanted to find a way to maintain the family-owned ethos in the transition.
Dennison: And that led you to set up three companies and cooperatives, with increasingly broader goals.
Between 1900 and 1920In the Spokane and Priest River valleys, in Washington state’s northeastern and Idaho’s northwestern corners, respectively, most Italians labored on the railroads or in lumber mills, but because land was plentiful and fertile, they ventured into farming, too. In 1907, the Spokane Chamber of Commerce went so far as to market Spokane as a “bread basket” because of its rapidly growing agribusiness in wheat and produce.
Democratic management is the lifeblood of a healthy co-op and the people who live in the Coop, and who collectively own and operate the housing, are voting members. The members elect a board of directors from among themselves and authorize the board to conduct the day to day business of the Cooperative in a manner that satisfies all of the requirements of its Charter, Bylaws, Agreements, and Policies.
In the aftermath of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, disruptions in the meat supply chain caused bare shelves and suppressed cattle prices across the United States. Major meat processor closures exposed vulnerabilities, prompting a visionary response from local meat producers around Havre, Montana. Walt Schweitzer, president of the Montana Farmers Union and Director of Montana Premium Processing Co-op, started Montana Premium Processing Cooperative (MPPC) to bring more resilience and independence to Montana's meat producers.
In a northeast corner of Los Angeles, not far from where I live, there’s a neighborhood called Atwater Village, and in that neighborhood an enterprise called the Proof Bakery does a thriving business selling a wide range of pastries, cakes, sandwiches, coffees, and other popular items. Three years ago, its founder and owner, Na Young Ma, decided to relinquish ownership after running the business for almost 10 years.
The OSU CFAES Center for Cooperatives staff started off National Co-op Month with the pleasure of attending the NCBA Clusa 2023 Cooperative Impact Conference this past October in Washington D.C.
The theme this year was ‘Rooted, Resilient, Ready’ with hundreds of cooperators gathering to learn from one another, listen to presenters who are experts in their fields and speak to legislator about the cooperative difference.
