Owning Together: Worker-Consumer Co-ops in Conversation
Channel: Grassroots Economic Organizing
Date: 2023-05-04

“Multi-stakeholder” co-ops have become popular in recent years, but what does it really mean to bring different groups together for common ownership and governance? How can joint ownership best be structured up front and modified as the co-op develops? How are financial equity, decision making, and contributions of labor effectively handled? What about the status of different “classes” of members? What are the implications for cooperative power in local communities, and in the movement?

This timely discussion delves into these and other issues—bringing terminology about structures and processes down to earth by probing real cases and their implications. Learn more about multistakeholder structures and dynamics that could be applied in your own work.The roundtable and open discussion will include experts in multi-stakeholder co-ops and members of worker-consumer co-ops in several parts of the US.

Panelists:
Margaret Lund, Co-op consultant, Co-opera Co., Minneapolis, MN (moderator)

Fred Freundlich, Professor, Business, Mondragon University, Basque Country, Spain

Madeleine Bodden, Business Manager, Black Star Co-op, Austin, TX

James Watts, Head Merchandiser, Jon McDonald, Bread Bakery Manager, and Allanah Hines, Chair of Board of Directors, Weaver Street Market, Carrboro, NC

Elizabeth Jesdale, United Electric, Radio, and Machine Workers of America (UE), Montpelier, VT

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Music: Too Far Away - The Long Ride Home, by J. Lang; CC BY 3.0

00:00 Intro
04:07 Panelist Introductions
11:20 How does this even work?
30:44 Details about worker board members
35:04 What modifications has your co-op made over time? What difference has your structure made?
49:02 How can the broader co-op movement support multi-stakeholder co-ops?
1:04:44 Are workers compensated for board time? How does patronage get divided between consumer- and worker-members?
1:12:53 Who gets to vote for worker board members?
1:14:18 How did you decide board representation percentages?
1:18:02 How have you included minoritized voices?
1:28:34 Outro