Tag Archives: worker co-ops

May Day 2020: A Day of Solidarity and Support

Posted on April 29, 2020 by John McNamara

Normally, I see May Day as the international workers holiday. It would, in my view, be an international paid holiday where nobody labors and celebrates the value of people. A number of worker co-ops close to celebrate (Rainbow Grocery Co-op … Continue reading →

Posted in Co-op Blueprint, Movement, Society, worker co-ops | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

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

The Government Will Not Save Us

Posted on February 3, 2020 by John McNamara

Regardless of the outcome of the Iowa Caucus tonight, our salvation as a community (however you define it) and as a species will not come from politicians. It will will only come from our collective efforts to build a better … Continue reading →

Posted in Human Relations, Movement | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The Worker Co-op Movement in 2040: Revisited

Posted on November 8, 2019 by John McNamara

Ten years ago, when I was blogging much more regularly, I wrote a series on envisioning the worker co-op movement in 2040. You can read them here. As the Co-op Decade comes to a conclusion over the next couple of … Continue reading →

Posted in 2040, Co-op Blueprint, Movement, Pensimientos, worker co-ops | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Co-op Accounting: Business Services Co-op

Posted on October 24, 2019 by John McNamara

One of the major contradictions that worker co-ops need to grapple with arises with the way they are forced to manage the books. For instance, if a co-op’s mission is living wages and a safe work environment, those mission items … Continue reading →

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

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 →

Posted in American Dream | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Worker Co-ops and the American Dream, part 5

Posted on July 3, 2018 by John McNamara

Keeping the Dream Alive Despite the data that clearly exposes the shortcomings of the American Dream, it is still a powerful myth that draws thousands of new immigrants to the United States each year. Even those who deny the Dream … Continue reading →

Posted in American Dream | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Worker Co-ops and the American Dream, part 4

Posted on June 26, 2018 by John McNamara

American Dream Deferred The American Dream, it must be noted, has always been an aspect of white privilege. The promise of those inalienable rights remained a promise for those brought in slavery and this aspect has played a role in … Continue reading →

Posted in American Dream | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in American Dream, Worker Rights | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in American Dream | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment