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1) So @AOC was on MSNBC. The whole interview was fantastic and I highly recommend listening to all of it. I've been trying to be chill about how happy-excited AOC makes me, but she mentioned worker-cooperatives and my head exploded. msnbc.com/mtp-daily/watc…
2) Her words: “You can be in the private sector and be a democratic socialist business. Worker cooperatives are a perfect example of that.” Bear with me because I’m about to go off. (I'm sorry in advance.)
3. Worker-cooperatives are democratically-run businesses. The workers own the business as “worker-owners.” They decide how the business runs on the day to day. They set their wages and benefits. They determine what to do with their “surplus” (or revenue).
4. They are dope and empowering as f&%*! Democracy at work puts the number of worker co-ops in the US at 300 (7,000 people, “generating over $400 million in annual revenues”). institute.coop/worker-coopera…
5. From the above link: “The largest worker cooperative in the United States is Cooperative Home Care Associates (CHCA), a home care agency with over 2,000 workers based in the Bronx, New York.” Think about how much stability that adds to their work and communities.
6. Co-ops have also been shown to be more successful/resilient than other businesses. co-oplaw.org/special-topics…
7. Most co-ops elect a board to make major decisions, but many of them are small enough to use direct democracy or consensus decision making. Even big ones can manage this.
8. Rainbow Grocery Cooperative: “Each of our 13 departments act as autonomous units, with all decisions being made at department meetings. From hiring, scheduling and division of labor, to discussions around what products to carry.” rainbow.coop/departments/
9. They aren’t perfect. The politics within the co-op community are complex and full of small and large conflicts. Not all co-ops are progressive either. Some can be pretty conservative. But the ones @AOC are talking about are devoted to fairness and democracy in the workplace.
10. Another thing: Co-ops and the solidarity economy as a whole can be an important resource for communities struggling with disasters brought on by climate change. I talked about this a little bit here: theverge.com/2019/1/23/1818…
11. My #BetterWorlds short story “Monsters Come Howling in Their Season” also explores this: theverge.com/2019/1/23/1817…
12. Hurricane seasons are getting worse. Some of the most vulnerable places are communities of color like Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. I think solidarity economics could help. I hope to see that someday expressed with robust federal legislation.
13. Okay, I’m done. I will contain myself now.
