Tag Archives: labor unions

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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Worker Co-ops and the American Dream, part 6

Posted on July 10, 2018 by John McNamara

The Union-Co-op as a Pathway to Restoring the American Dream As the effects of the Great Recession linger even ten years later, Americans seek new avenues to meet their needs and desires. The labor movement has largely been fighting a … Continue reading →

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Labor Unions and Co-ops, part 5

Posted on May 23, 2018 by John McNamara

There and Back Again: Unions and Worker Co-operatives In October 2009, the United Steelworkers and Mondragón Co-operative held a joint press conference to announce a partnership to create worker-owned unionized factories in the United States (Witherell, 2013). This marked 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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Labor and Co-ops: Beginnings

Posted on May 1, 2018 by John McNamara

part 2 of a series Early Unionist Movement and Co-operatives The first inception of the labor movement in the United States looked little like today’s organizations. The National Labor Union and the Knights of Labor did not seek to engage … Continue reading →

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Labor Unions and Worker Co-ops: Today and Yesterday

Posted on April 24, 2018 by John McNamara

Note: the post in this series resulted from work towards a larger research project that has since been abandoned. I will be turning two of those chapters into posts that will run on Tuesdays for the next several weeks under … Continue reading →

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The “We” Generation

Posted on January 23, 2017 by John McNamara

Here we are. The next two years will seem to bring to life the ancient curse, “May you live in interesting times.” The need for mutual self-help and self-reliance along with solidarity will be at the forefront for many of … Continue reading →

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Welcome to the Discussion

Posted on August 14, 2014 by John McNamara

There is a new blog about worker cooperatives entitled “Owning a Better Future”.  The focus of this blog, judging from the first couple of posts, will center on the growing “union coop” model. This model engages both traditional labor unions … 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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