United States

In this episode of Punchcard, we speak to Rebecca Kemble, an experienced cooperator from the US, who is a member of Union Cabs Worker Cooperative in Madison and co-founder of the Solidarity Economy Principles Project.

Movers and shakers from Co-op Power, the Old Creamery Co-op, Real Pickles, River Valley Co-op, & UMass Five College Credit Union, Valley Alliance of Worker Cooperatives, Downtown Sounds, Flat Iron coffee house, Neighboring Food Co-op Association, Our Family Farms, & PV Squared.

In 2014, the seminal book, Collective Courage: A History of African-American Cooperative Economic Thought and Practice debuted, and with it a flame sparked in the cooperative movement. 

We're joined by Lauren Hudson and Evan Casper-Futterman for a discussion of the upcoming Peoples Hub training the pair will be leading this year, focused on providing the skills and knowledge necessary for organizers to create regional solidarity economies.

Focused on 12 Southeastern states, the new institution will offer low-interest loans and technical support to help farmers, landowners, cooperatives, and ag-based businesses start and grow operations.

Reem’s California is a worker-owned restaurant. It is democratically run by local workers. Using worker-ownership, the restaurant challenges the long-standing inequality and violence prevalent in the restaurant industry, and provides an empowering and transforming workplace for those who have faced the most barriers–people of color, queer, formerly incarcerated folks, and undocumented individuals.

On Saturday Sept. 28, the day after the storm, about 40 people gathered outside the store for the first community meeting, where they set up tables to distribute food and supplies. Everyone agreed they would keep doing this every day, and Sunday’s meeting drew at least 100 people.

Chris interviews worker-owners at the 2024 Worker Co-op Conference in Chicago, Illinois.

In this session, Building Regional Cooperative Ecosystems, from Beyond Business as Usual 2024: Co-Ops and the Next Economy, you will learn more about the concept of a "cooperative ecosystem" and hear lessons from organizers building regional cooperative ecosystems as part of the global solidarity economy movement.

Josh talks with Kate "Sassy" Sassoon about her long history in co-ops of all different varieties and her current work as a co-op facilitator.