Tag Archives: Ownership

Are We Not Owners? We Are Workers!

Posted on March 20, 2020 by John McNamara

Last Winter, Fifty by Fifty ran a series of blog posts about the sale of the ESOP New Belgium Brewery to Kirin. It was a great series of posts of which I was honored to participate. This was and is … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, worker co-ops | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Building a New Economy

Posted on October 18, 2019 by John McNamara

Construction companies seem ripe for the co-op model. The very nature of contracting means a team effort. Along the I-5 corridor between Bellingham and Olympia, there are three construction co-ops and more interested. Northwest Construction Co-op in Olympia focuses on … Continue reading →

Posted in Co-op Month, worker co-ops | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

PT Shipwrights: They Saw, They Conquered

Posted on October 15, 2019 by John McNamara

Just a short write up today to acknowledge one of the oldest functioning worker co-ops in Washington: The Port Townsend Shipwrights Cooperative. They started out this journey (or voyage) in 1981 with 8 shipwrights and a ship’s saw. The Co-op … Continue reading →

Posted in Co-op Month, worker co-ops | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

ROC and Roll

Posted on October 14, 2019 by John McNamara

Resident Owned Communities (ROCs) have become a thing. This term generally refers to a specific type of housing co-op that engages manufactured home parks. This is a slightly different model than what most people think of when they hear the … Continue reading →

Posted in American Dream, Co-op Month | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Twisted Strait Fibers: a PNW Original

Posted on October 10, 2019 by John McNamara

One of the first groups that I started working with after moving to the Pacific Northwest was the PNW Fiber Web Cooperative. The project began as a effort to build resources for the animal fiber producers and fiber artists on … Continue reading →

Posted in Co-op Month | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Peninsula Homecare Co-op

Posted on October 9, 2019 by John McNamara

In some ways, Port Townsend is the perfect community for the Washington model of home care co-ops. I was told by a colleague that, years ago, in the 70s and 80s, Port Townsend marketed itself towards retirees. This beautiful community … Continue reading →

Posted in Co-op Month | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The Legacy Project Continues

Posted on October 6, 2019 by John McNamara

I’ve already written about The Legacy Project a while ago, but it is always worth mentioning! We are living through the greatest generational transfer of wealth that has ever occurred. As the Baby Boomers retire and pass, there wealth will … Continue reading →

Posted in Co-op Month, Conversion | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Orca Books Needs Your Help

Posted on October 4, 2019 by John McNamara

Orca Books has been operating as a new and used bookstore in downtown Olympia for almost three decades. It is the largest bookstore in the downtown (Olympia actually has three locally owned bookstores within about 5 blocks of each other … Continue reading →

Posted in Co-op Month | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Capital Homecare-18 months in

Posted on October 2, 2019 by John McNamara

On March 3, 2018, the workers of Capital Homecare Cooperative received their Agency license from the State of Washington. In Washington, home care (not to be confused with home healthcare) is heavily regulated. Just to get licensed (which also means … Continue reading →

Posted in Co-op Month, worker co-ops | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Le Voyeur–The Next Generation

Posted on October 1, 2019 by John McNamara

Le Voyeur has been a mainstay of Olympia’s scene since 1997. “Le Voyeur offers vegan-friendly food, drunk-friendly drinks, and punk-friendly entertainment. It’s also a good spot for some Olympian people-watching, as college kids and townies mix with K Records royalty … Continue reading →

Posted in Co-op Month, worker co-ops | Tagged , , | 1 Comment