I'd heard of them before, but didn't realise how large they'd become!

It's interesting to see how they've remained competitive in a capitalist market.

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2024/apr/24/in-the-us-they-think-were-communists-the-70000-workers-showing-the-world-another-way-to-earn-a-living

Im thinking to go back cooperative life. I was an accountant but its really boring and no future in my opinion. So what u guys, can suggest me? My degree is business administration so its really wide topic. I can be anything i guess.

I have been trying to find data on the number of WCs in Spain before 2008. I have a source that their number was around 17k in 2016. I would like data points in previous years, and it is okay if it goes far back to pre-1970s or something. Anyone know any sources?

Hi reddit family, i recently cofounded a co-op based in the U.S. (colorado specifically) and we're looking to connect with accountants who specialize in cooperatives. this task has seemed a bit harder task than we thought. anyone have any tips on where to look, or even better, are you a tax accountant who specialized in co-ops? Thanks ahead of time for any help!

RMEOC is hosting a Social Co-op Academy, kicking off on May 1, to uncover the incredible potential of social coops!

These unique coops blend the cooperative ethos with a strong focus on empowering marginalized communities. It's time to shine a spotlight on social coops and pave the way for their growth in the U.S!

From discovering examples of social coops to unlocking their powerful impact on the care economy, these eight weekly sessions are jam-packed with invaluable insights. 

Speakers will include John Restakis, Katrina Kazda, Joseph Cureton, Maru Bautista, Mo Manklang, Matthew Epperson, and our ED Minsun Ji. Join us or share with your network! 

It would be great if you could join us or share with your network. We hope to see you there!

Learn more: https://www.rmeoc.org/events/

Interested in learning more and exploring the prospect of setting up a metal working cooperative- Is anyone here in the Bay Area or have leads to contact? Thanks in advance!

Hi!

Some background: I run two companies. One is owned by the city council and another one by my friend. They both seem more like a hustle than a business. I can talk about it for hours, but in short I want to get the workers from my friend`s company to run this thing together. My friend agrees to split the stocks equally between the workers. I have an auditor who has couple co-ops under her so she is helping me to prepare for the reorganization. All is good.

But I seem to be unable to find any online domains that would connect the co-op workers online. I did some research and it seems that a lot huge co-ops use the name only to gain something from the social appeal. I could not find anything on discord.

Is there any other channel, forum, domain?

TL; dr: if located in the US, your co-op is now required to file an annual report to the federal government. Everyone who is a "beneficial owner" (which is probably all members) must provide, as a part of this reporting requirement, personally identifying information and a photocopy of a government photo id, such as a passport or drivers license. Please write your congress critter to take action.

More details about this legislation here:

https://coophousing.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/NAHC-CHQ-Spring-2024.pdf

Sample message to a representative here:

Dear Representative [name]:

As you may know, as of January 1, 2024, the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) mandates that most cooperatives, along with other corporations, must come into compliance with rigorous annual reporting requirements regarding their owners. Our housing cooperative falls under domestic reporting companies because we were formed as a domestic corporation under our state's Secretary of State's office.

It beggars the imagination how someone could use a housing cooperative to hide or benefit from ill-gotten gains. [information about our coop here] To make us file an additional report with the federal government, including copies of personal identification such as our drivers' licenses or passports is time-consuming, invasive and opens every member up to greater risk of identity theft.

Please consider action to except coops from this legislation.

Since there is no "boss" in the usual sense to extract their own profit, wouldn't cooperative workers be inherently better-paid than if they were doing the exact same work for the exact same purpose but in a conventional firm? And if so, how have cooperatives not taken off across the globe? As the sub FAQ states:

many co-ops use a form of patronage, where a surplus is divided amongst the workers depending on how many hours worked/wage. There is no single answer.

Sorry if it's a dumb question, just genuinely curious

Hi everyone,

I've been exploring the concept of consumer cooperatives in various sectors and recently stumbled upon a fascinating movement in the sports industry. Traditional sports team ownership models typically involve wealthy individuals or corporations holding the reins, but what if the fans themselves could own a piece of the pie?

Consumer cooperatives in sports are not just a dream but are becoming a reality. These cooperatives allow fans to buy shares in a team, making them partial owners with a say in the decision-making processes. This model champions transparency, community involvement, and a deeper connection between the team and its supporters.

One such initiative that caught my eye is a new cooperative aiming to purchase a European football club. They're leveraging a grassroots approach to rally global support, combining the passion for football with cooperative principles. Members get voting rights, a voice in club decisions, and various membership benefits. Here's a link to their website: Football Club Group

I'm intrigued by the potential of this model to democratize sports team ownership and enhance fan engagement. What are your thoughts on this approach? Could this be the future of sports team ownership?

Has anyone ever heard of a nightclub/music venue cooperative? I would love to explore and learn more about how to start one.

Does anyone know what Mike Leung is up to these days or how to get in touch with him?

https://www.abolishhumanrentals.org/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLAe7AzHcNY

So, this has been stuck in my brain for months now. I want to do whatever it takes to make this happen. I'm seeking other members to join me on this quest. I know it's ambitious, but so am I.

https://github.com/fahertym/InterCooperative-Network

Proposal: InterCooperative Network (ICN) Platform

Executive Summary The InterCooperative Network (ICN) is an ambitious initiative aimed at harnessing digital technologies to foster innovation, collaboration and collective action within the cooperative movement across all sectors. The ICN will be a centralized yet democratically-governed platform providing an array of integrated tools and services to empower cooperatives to connect, share resources, access training, coordinate advocacy efforts and engage in transparent decision-making processes. This transformative platform has the potential to significantly strengthen cooperatives' resilience and amplify their socio-economic impact.

Vision & Objectives The core vision is to leverage the combined strengths of cooperatives globally through digital collaboration, enabling members to innovate together and thrive in an era of rapid change. Key objectives include:

​

1. Facilitate seamless communication, knowledge sharing, resource pooling and dissemination of best practices between cooperatives.
2. Promote cooperative entrepreneurship through joint venture support, collaborative project tools and dedicated online marketplaces.
3. Provide a unified platform to coordinate advocacy campaigns, policy engagement and legislative monitoring for the cooperative sector.
4. Enhance skills and capacity through an integrated e-learning portal offering courses on governance, sustainability and cooperative management.
5. Uphold democratic principles by implementing transparent voting mechanisms reflecting the "one member, one vote" ethos.

Platform Features

Identity Management

​

• Establish ICN as a central Identity Provider leveraging Keycloak, Gluu, or both
• Implement federated identity management standards
• Allow cooperatives to manage user identities securely

Cooperator Finder

​

• User profiles specifying skills, interests, desired cooperative types
• Intelligent matchmaking to connect potential co-founders
• Guide new groups through cooperative registration as nodes on the ICN

Marketplace & B2B Exchange

​

• Online platform for cooperatives to sell products/services
• Support B2B procurement and transactions between cooperatives

Collaboration Hub

​

• Communication channels (forums, chat, video conferencing)
• Project management capabilities to coordinate collaborative initiatives

Data Analytics

​

• Secure data pooling to enable benchmarking and strategic planning
• Anonymized data exchange to derive sector-wide insights

Training Academy

​

• E-courses covering governance, operations, financing and sustainability
• Resources on cooperative principles, policies and best practices

Advocacy Center

​

• Legislative monitoring and tools for coordinated advocacy campaigns
• Centralized hub to amplify the voice of the cooperative movement

Governance Engine

​

• Digital voting module for transparent decision-making processes
• Mechanisms to propose changes, resolutions and board elections

Technical Architecture The platform will have a microservices-based, polyglot architecture:

​

• Decentralized network of nodes operated by member cooperatives
• Rust for high-performance and security-critical backend services
• Python/Node.js for agile web app development
• Container orchestration using Docker and Kubernetes
• Potential use of blockchain, IPFS and decentralized storage
• Integration with Keycloak for identity and access management
• CI/CD pipelines for automated testing and deployment

Implementation Roadmap

Phase 1: Research & Planning

​

• Stakeholder consultations to refine concept and features
• Feasibility analysis of technical, financial and operational aspects

Phase 2: Design & Prototyping

​

• Architect the platform prioritizing scalability, security and UX
• Develop low and high-fidelity prototypes for user testing

Phase 3: MVP Development & Pilot

​

• Agile build of a minimal viable product with core functionalities
• Pilot deployment with a subset of cooperatives for feedback

Phase 4: Expansion & Ongoing Evolution

​

• Platform-wide rollout and onboarding of cooperatives
• Continuous enhancement based on user input and emerging needs

Governance Model The ICN will have a robust, multi-tiered governance structure:

​

• General Assembly: Supreme body where all cooperatives convene annually
• Board of Directors: Elected board to oversee strategic guidance
• Advisory Committees: Expertise-driven committees providing recommendations
• Operational Team: Dedicated professionals for implementation

The model allows for democratic participation of all members in key decisions while distributing responsibilities appropriately.

Funding Approach Aligned with cooperative principles of economic participation and democratic member control, a sustainable funding model will include:

​

• Membership contributions from participating cooperatives
• Grants from cooperative development funds and aligned organizations
• Fair pricing for premium services with discounts for members
• Partnership opportunities with academic institutions, think tanks, NGOs
• Potential subsidization by national/regional cooperative bodies

This multi-stakeholder approach ensures the ICN remains an affordable and accessible utility owned and governed by its cooperative members.

Conclusion The InterCooperative Network has the potential to be a game-changer for the global cooperative movement. By blending digital collaboration capabilities with decentralized governance, the ICN can catalyze innovation, build resilience and amplify the socio-economic impact cooperatives deliver. This proposal lays out a comprehensive vision supported by a strong technological foundation and robust implementation plan. The cooperative community is invited to support this pioneering initiative to collectively shape a more empowered and unified future.

The City of Chicago’s “Educating the Ecosystem” 2024 Webinar Series

Join the Chicago Community Wealth Building Ecosystem (CCWBE) project for the webinar series “Educating the Ecosystem”. The series focuses on technical, professional, and financial assistance providers in the Chicago area and their relation to the topic of worker cooperatives. The webinars are free to attend and facilitated by the Democracy at Work Institute’s Business Transfers Program Director Frank Cetera.

CCWBE is a $6 million program of American Rescue Plan Act grants to 17 organizations to provide highly- specialized technical assistance in research & convening; education & outreach; business development; legal & governance; finance & fundraising; and assets & operations. The city’s Office of Equity & Racial Justice vision is a democratic and reparative economy giving everyone the ability to thrive without extracting from people or the environment in the process. To get there, we are building and strengthening a sustainable community wealth building ecosystem in Chicago.

Visit the CCWBE calendar for registration links at https://ccwbe.org/calendar/

All three of the webinars will provide an audience-tailored look at worker-cooperative development and ownership through case study storytelling and sharing details such as Intake/referral sources, Advising and professional services provided, Tools and resources used, and sources of financing used. Professional attendees will be positioned to integrate worker-ownership development into their services, while General audience attendees will be positioned to begin or advance their journey for worker-cooperative development or conversion.

Attendees Will Also Receive:

Access to a digital resources toolbox curated by the panel experts,

An invitation to participate in the service referral infrastructure for worker ownership in the City of Chicago,

Directions on how to join and participate in industry associated, and grassroots, communities of practice, both in Chicago and nationally, and,

An invitation to two upcoming in-person matchmaker events.

I live in a coop in Queens, NYC that has recently been spearheaded by a very nosy and passive aggressive, unemployed woman who has taken it as her full-time job to impose a number of rules---one of which is an annual inspection of each apartment to check fire alarms, to see if people are subletting their apartments, etc., and today I just found out that the superintendent has also been taking photos of everyone's unit. Most residents of the coop did not like it and protested it, but still allowed it to proceed because to do otherwise would solicit a variety of headaches and harassment from "the board," which is dominated by that one woman.

Does anyone know if requiring people to take photos is legal in NYC?

Hi everyone,

My organization is looking to restart an existing housing co-op in Uptown, Chicago, and want to partner with a group of potential members interested in being a part of this process. The members of this group would have autonomy to shape practices and culture in the cooperative, and benefit from lease charges well below market rate. Your co-op organizing group would become a part of NASCO Properties, a non-profit nation-wide land trust. NASCO Properties works with local housing co-ops to create tenant-controlled affordable housing, and we are looking for a new local partner group to create another co-op in this building.

The details of what we're asking applicants to provide is listed in this document, and you can contact us at proposals@nasco.coop with any questions you might have along the way. We're really excited to see what people have to offer for this project! Please feel free to share, especially with your contacts in the Chicago area.

This thread is part of an attempt by the moderators to create a series of monthly repeating posts to help aggregate certain kinds of content into single threads.

If you have any basic questions about Cooperatives, feel free to ask them here. Please also remember to visit this thread even if you consider yourself a cooperative veteran so that you can help others!

Note that this thread will be posted on the first and will run throughout the month.