As the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives (USFWC) celebrates its twentieth anniversary in 2024, July marks seventeen years since the founding of its oldest member council – the Union Co-ops Council. Established to bridge worker cooperatives and organized labor, the Council has become a crucial player in both movements, fueled by the resurgence of unions and worker co-ops throughout the beginning of the 21st century.
This is a "nuts & bolts" session on transitioning existing businesses to worker-owned cooperatives. Attendees learn about the option and process of worker buyouts and hear a wide variety of company transition stories, from initial exploration through deal structuring, financing and post-transaction support. Business owners considering a sale to employees as well as current workers exploring or engaged in a buyout will find value in the session.
Years of being one of the "technical people" in activist circles resulted in my being continually called on to help community groups and fellow organizers understand and more correctly wield technology in service of their mission. Using my blogpost "Three Tips for Providing Tech Help to Non-Profits and Other Such Organizations" as a point of departure, I will share my experience and derived best practices.
Rachel and Travis of Vancouver's Louder Than Ten worker cooperative talk with Josh about their business and why they decided to make the conversion to a worker co-op.
Bringing CoopCycle to Latin America is an exciting development, and one that involved cooperative federations and networks, state sponsorship, universities, NGOs, and co-op financial institutions.
At Louder Than Ten, we know that worker-owned cooperatives are scientifically proven to be more sustainable, more productive, and longer-lasting. Our conversion to a co-op was the next logical step in our belief and commitment to an equal power structure—and it just makes practical business sense.
