Category Archives: Worker Rights

No, a Co-op Version of Uber or Lyft Isn’t Possible

Posted on January 23, 2020 by John McNamara

I often see posts and efforts regarding platform co-op that want to co-operatize the “gig” economy. I understand the desire. The co-op community missed this change in our society in a big way. It happened very quickly and utilized an … Continue reading →

Posted in Human Relations, Platform Coops, Worker Rights | Tagged | 3 Comments

New Belgium Brewery Goes Flat

Posted on December 30, 2019 by John McNamara

A couple of weeks ago, a tremor ran through the “employee ownership” establishment when New Belgium Brewing announced that it had sold itself to Kirin, a Japanese conglomerate with international holdings. New Belgium was a highly touted ESOP (Employee Stock … Continue reading →

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Willy St: Co-op for Consumers, Union for the Workers

Posted on November 27, 2019 by John McNamara

Beatrix Potter ( who with her husband Sidney Webb led the Fabian Socialists (predecessors to the Labour Party in the UK) generally opposed the notion of worker co-ops. The argument went something along the lines that all humans share the … Continue reading →

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Labor Unions and Co-ops, part 4

Posted on May 15, 2018 by John McNamara

The New* Worker Co-operatives Worker owned businesses have always existed in the in the United States. They may be as small as a single proprietorship or as large as Google. Depending on the definition of worker ownership, organizations such as … Continue reading →

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Labor Unions and Co-ops, part 3

Posted on May 8, 2018 by John McNamara

A Labor Movement for the New Guilded Age When Ronald Reagan stood before the Brandenburg Gate on June 12, 1987, he not only invoked the rising supremacy of the United States by demanding “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”, he … Continue reading →

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Stand in solidarity with HOTEL BAUEN workers

Posted on January 27, 2017 by John McNamara

Appeal for international solidarity with the law of expropriation of the Hotel BAUEN voted by the Argentine Congress on November 30th, 2016 and vetoed by President Mauricio Macri After almost 14 years of struggle, the Argentine Senate passed a bill … Continue reading →

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The People’s Ride: A Co-op Response to Uber

Posted on October 5, 2015 by John McNamara

I haven’t been a fan of the “sharing economy” primairlity because it really isn’t about sharing, it is about extraction. Uber, Lyft, AirBnB, TaskRabbit aren’t sharing anything, they are providing a technological interface for people to do menial jobs and … Continue reading →

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Can Worker Coops Engage True Rehabilitation?

Posted on August 11, 2014 by John McNamara

Last May, I had the opportunity to attend the Canadian Association for Study in Cooperatives. It was held at Brock University as part of the annual Congress of Social Studies and Humanities Research Council. There were, as usual, a number … Continue reading →

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The Big (Wide) Tent of Worker Ownership

Posted on February 24, 2014 by John McNamara

Last month, I flew to Washington DC for a day to represent the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives as a member of the organization. The event was a series of meetings on Capitol Hill sponsored by the American Sustainable Business … Continue reading →

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Circling Around to the Beginning?

Posted on October 28, 2013 by John McNamara

In my studies over the last two years, I have learned a lot about American politics and the attitude towards labor in these United States. It is a very interesting dynamic and one that helps to make Foucault’s concept of … Continue reading →

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