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Catalyzing worker co-ops & the solidarity economy

Networking & Collaboration

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September 30, 2024

An Interview with Yochai Gal of TechCollective

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Summary

Co-founder of two worker co-ops, Yochai Gal, joins us to talk about his co-op's recent merger with another tech worker cooperative, and how the new co-op incorporated the best of both of the worker co-ops that formed it. Then Yochai shares his (rather critical) thoughts on the trajectory of the USFWC over the last several years, and why he thinks it has largely failed to fulfill it's original goals.

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September 23, 2024

Creating a Co-owned Pocket Community

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Today, on their one-third-acre lot in Oakland (California), there are 20 adults and 4 babies living in 6 buildings with 10 units. There's a 4-plex with 5 adults, 2 apartments with 2 or 4 adults upstairs and families downstairs, and 2 houses with families.

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August 22, 2024

Remembering the Democracy At Work Network

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The Democracy at Work Network was an organization of worker co-op peer advisors that operated successfully for several years, assisting fledgling worker co-ops by offering technical assistance from experienced worker-owners, on a sliding price scale.

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August 1, 2024

The Union Co-ops Council: Seventeen Years of Forging Worker Alliances

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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.

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July 29, 2024

WhatsApp Mutual Aid

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These WhatsApp groups changed my life overnight. I went from struggling to find something to eat and a way to get around to relaxing into the support provided by the care of an Excel sheet.

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June 17, 2024

Technology Cooperatives In The Movement - Where Are We Now?

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Tech worker cooperatives have the potential to provide particularly crucial infrastructure for the communication and coordination necessary for a liberatory movement and a robust and just economy.

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May 27, 2024

The Benefits of Indivisible Reserves and their Connection to Communities

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A review of the benefits of indivisible reserves, their connection to community, and the early 19th century origin of these ideas are discussed in this article.

 

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May 24, 2024

The US Worker Cooperative Movement Turns 20

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GEO is kicking off a special collection in honor of the 20th Anniversary of the founding of the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives.

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May 9, 2024

Liberation Economist - Part 1

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GEO interviewed Mance in early 2024 hoping to better understand his work and thoughts on solidarity economy, particularly with regards to the Solidarius.net platform. The interview was conducted in Spanish, and has been edited for clarity.

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April 1, 2024

Indigenous Community Care: Traditions of Reciprocity

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Summary

In early 2024, the Post Growth Institute ran an Offers and Needs Market (OANM) facilitator training program with predominantly rural Native American families from the Southern Oregon Education School District (SOESD) Indian Education program. This article is inspired by my experience as the lead program designer and facilitator.