UN Gives Nod to Worker Cooperatives
Dan Clore
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/smygo
http://inthesetimes.com/working/entry/5370/un_gives_nod_to_worker_co-ops_as_cleveland_communities_embrace_model/
UN Gives Nod to Worker Co-Ops, as Cleveland Communities Embrace Model
Thursday
December 31
1:11 pm
By Akito Yoshikane
The year might be winding down, but United Nations member states are
already looking three years ahead: On Monday, the General Assembly
declared 2012 the International Year of Cooperatives.
Fifty-five countries from predominantly Latin, African and southeast
Asian countries supported the resolution in an effort to highlight the
contribution of cooperatives to socio-economic development.
To most Americans, the image of a worker co-ops conjures up notions of a
hippie venture. But collective business models have been embraced all
over the world and have recently started gaining traction in U.S. cities
like Cleveland, Ohio.
As autonomous voluntary associations, cooperatives are jointly owned and
democratically controlled enterprises by a group of individuals with
common economic and social goals. Cooperatives have 800 million members
across 100 countries and account for about 100 million jobs worldwide,
according to the UN.
Worker co-ops have not only been resilient through the economic crisis,
they are also profitable. The top 300 cooperatives generate as much as
the 10th largest economy in the world with revenues of $1.1 trillion,
according to a 2008 report by the Geneva-based International
Co-operative Alliance.
Even here in the U.S., 900 rural electric cooperatives serve 37 million
people and own almost half of the electric distribution lines in the
country. But more recently, unions and businesses have also begun to
take a closer look at cooperative model in various sectors. Time is
reporting this week on how communities in Cleveland are experimenting
with the idea by taking inspiration from the successful Mondragon Corp.,
the world's largest worker-owned co-op with roots in Spain's basque region.
Several nonprofits, medical institutions and businesses in Cleveland
have looked to the Mondragon model to create services and jobs in
low-income areas�all while by democratizing ownership. One local
cooperative, Evergreen Cooperative group, distributes profits evenly,
every worker has one-vote, employment skill-sets are rotated, and wage
gaps between the CEO and workers are controlled.
Unions are also taking interest in cooperatives. In October, United
Steelworkers (USW) union announced an agreement to collaborate with
Mondragon in the manufacturing sector. USW International President Leo
Gerard in a press release called the agreement a �historic first step�
to create a viable business model through union co-ops in manufacturing.
Too often we have seen Wall Street hollow out companies by draining
their cash and assets and hollowing out communities by shedding jobs and
shuttering plants. We need a new business model that invests in workers
and invests in communities.
This decade has been marred with corporate scandals occurring within the
traditional hierarchical business models. From employee pension-losses
at Enron, monstrous AIG executive bonuses, fraudulent accounting at
WorldCom to Wall Street�s complete financial collapse, the lack of
corporate governance has been scant and its effects on working people
have been catastrophic.
The democratic decision making and joint accountability at the center of
co-ops is refreshing. Still, worker co-ops aren�t just ideals anymore.
For those in Cleveland and around the world, the decision to participate
in worker co-ops are gaining headway out of necessity to create stable
jobs and feed their families, something the UN is hopeful it will be
able to do into the future.
--
Dan Clore
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the Last Chance to Save Capitalism in Italy_
jos boersema
On 2010-01-01, Dan Clore <cl...@columbia-center.org> wrote:
> News & Views for Anarchists & Activists:
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/smygo
>
> http://inthesetimes.com/working/entry/5370/un_gives_nod_to_worker_co-ops_as_cleveland_communities_embrace_model/
> UN Gives Nod to Worker Co-Ops, as Cleveland Communities Embrace Model
> Thursday
> December 31
> 1:11 pm
> By Akito Yoshikane
>
> The year might be winding down, but United Nations member states are
> already looking three years ahead: On Monday, the General Assembly
> declared 2012 the International Year of Cooperatives.
Oy oy, you dumbshits are at it again. What do you know what they mean
with 'cooperatives' ?! It looks like they know the capitalist could end
up thoroughly discredited through its own abuses by then, if this crises
starts to bite hard and viciously (maybe with wars to distract the
people.) Are they positioning themselves to take advantage of the
ignorance of the far left, such as the anarchists and marxists babble ?
What other is a 'cooperative' to them, then a new jargon to paint their
dictatorial mania with ? What else is 'marxism' but the total domination
of the market by the state ? Marx may have meant a true people's
democracy, but that's an easy one: "True People's Democracy" it will be
named.
> Fifty-five countries from predominantly Latin, African and southeast
> Asian countries supported the resolution in an effort to highlight the
> contribution of cooperatives to socio-economic development.
Ah right, let's not say the taboo words: quality of life for human
beings. No, growthnumbers for the elite to play with excess production,
that's what the world must be all about. Shockingly, once the left sees
its own jargon, all their ideals are suddenly out of the window.
> To most Americans, the image of a worker co-ops conjures up notions of a
> hippie venture. But collective business models have been embraced all
> over the world and have recently started gaining traction in U.S. cities
> like Cleveland, Ohio.
An absolutely miniscule and neglicible movement, Dan, despite your best
efforts to promote it. I think we need laws to make all businesses
cooperatives, but not how the current establishments would like it. Real
cooperatives in a free market, not Maoist 'cooperatives' as 'serf does
cooperatively what boss says' under central direction in a planned economy.
Which is probably what these established powers are eyeing for a post
crash political position to retain control over the peoples. They might
also be hedging their bets already: if the world urns hard left, they
might be able to ride that horse until they've broken its back too.
There have been miniscule sectarian groups trying better ways since a
long time, for thousands of years, it hasn't ever had a major impact on
the wider world. The answer is, imho: law. Make all businesses
democratic by law, socialize investment credit which brings out
dictatorial businesses and lives off human suffering.
> As autonomous voluntary associations, cooperatives are jointly owned and
> democratically controlled enterprises by a group of individuals with
> common economic and social goals. Cooperatives have 800 million members
> across 100 countries and account for about 100 million jobs worldwide,
> according to the UN.
Do note that the UN is a would be one world dominating Imperial
Government. Also note that the thieve wants to get into your house with
the sweetest smile, then to bind you to a chair, molest you and take off
with the loot ...
> Worker co-ops have not only been resilient through the economic crisis,
> they are also profitable. The top 300 cooperatives generate as much as
> the 10th largest economy in the world with revenues of $1.1 trillion,
> according to a 2008 report by the Geneva-based International
> Co-operative Alliance.
That's great, a great nucleous of example we could use to reform the
entire world, but then real and not fake or having a period of pretence
cooptation by the ruling classes.
Why does the capitalist enemy suddenly declare support for its worst
enemy, the cooperative corporation ? You never ask yourselve this
question ? When a known mobster offers you to lend you a 10 dollar
bill if you are out of cash, you assume you've been afforded a humane
kindness of a fellow human being ? lol, when will leftists ever learn,
when will their naivety run out of slack.
> Even here in the U.S., 900 rural electric cooperatives serve 37 million
> people and own almost half of the electric distribution lines in the
> country. But more recently, unions and businesses have also begun to
> take a closer look at cooperative model in various sectors. Time is
> reporting this week on how communities in Cleveland are experimenting
> with the idea by taking inspiration from the successful Mondragon Corp.,
> the world's largest worker-owned co-op with roots in Spain's basque region.
I definitely hope the cooperatives will make it, but you should know
better then trust the known capitalist enemies and their cunning games.
Note that the capitalists have vast wealth to crush cooperatives, sucked
from human suffering that cooperatives tend not to be able to do (if
they even wanted, which is the key.) They can destroy cooperatives
causing negative examples to their dictatorial business model, which
absolutely DOMINATES the entire world.
> Several nonprofits, medical institutions and businesses in Cleveland
> have looked to the Mondragon model to create services and jobs in
> low-income areas�all while by democratizing ownership. One local
> cooperative, Evergreen Cooperative group, distributes profits evenly,
> every worker has one-vote, employment skill-sets are rotated, and wage
> gaps between the CEO and workers are controlled.
>
> Unions are also taking interest in cooperatives. In October, United
> Steelworkers (USW) union announced an agreement to collaborate with
> Mondragon in the manufacturing sector. USW International President Leo
> Gerard in a press release called the agreement a �historic first step�
> to create a viable business model through union co-ops in manufacturing.
>
> Too often we have seen Wall Street hollow out companies by draining
> their cash and assets and hollowing out communities by shedding jobs and
> shuttering plants. We need a new business model that invests in workers
> and invests in communities.
>
> This decade has been marred with corporate scandals occurring within the
> traditional hierarchical business models. From employee pension-losses
> at Enron, monstrous AIG executive bonuses, fraudulent accounting at
> WorldCom to Wall Street�s complete financial collapse, the lack of
> corporate governance has been scant and its effects on working people
> have been catastrophic.
>
> The democratic decision making and joint accountability at the center of
> co-ops is refreshing. Still, worker co-ops aren�t just ideals anymore.
Maybe they never where, the world is a very large planet and history is
varied. In a sense very little has changed (besides the technology).
> For those in Cleveland and around the world, the decision to participate
> in worker co-ops are gaining headway out of necessity to create stable
> jobs and feed their families, something the UN is hopeful it will be
> able to do into the future.
lol, the "UN is hopeful the cooperatives will take over" ? Who in their
right mind can believe such nonsense. This is the world its ruling
clique central committee, engaged in all kinds of dirt and war.
Are you jokeying for funds from the UN ?
Ok, but thanks for posting. Now we know the UN is attempting to corrupt
and coopt the 'cooperative movement.' Batten down the hatches, crank
up the anti-corruption pumps, take another look at the books and create
a strategic economic reserve where possible: the world capitalist scum
is going to war on the cooperatives ...
... then nothing happened ? No war ? It's a cultural war, the speciality
of the Roman empire. They start cheering for the enemy culture, keeping
both eyes on the main prize: the power.
--
http://www.socialism.nl
Anarcissie
kiss of death to me. What do you suppose they're up
to? It sure can't anything that is going to
inconvenience their masters.
Fortunately the article doesn't mention any actual U.N.
involvement beyond a declaration.
In article <4B3DAF70...@columbia-center.org>,
Dan Clore <cl...@columbia-center.org> wrote:
> low-income areas�all while by democratizing ownership. One local
> cooperative, Evergreen Cooperative group, distributes profits evenly,
> every worker has one-vote, employment skill-sets are rotated, and wage
> gaps between the CEO and workers are controlled.
>
> Unions are also taking interest in cooperatives. In October, United
> Steelworkers (USW) union announced an agreement to collaborate with
> Mondragon in the manufacturing sector. USW International President Leo
> Gerard in a press release called the agreement a �historic first step�
> to create a viable business model through union co-ops in manufacturing.
>
> Too often we have seen Wall Street hollow out companies by draining
> their cash and assets and hollowing out communities by shedding jobs and
> shuttering plants. We need a new business model that invests in workers
> and invests in communities.
>
> This decade has been marred with corporate scandals occurring within the
> traditional hierarchical business models. From employee pension-losses
> at Enron, monstrous AIG executive bonuses, fraudulent accounting at
> WorldCom to Wall Street�s complete financial collapse, the lack of
> corporate governance has been scant and its effects on working people
> have been catastrophic.
>
> The democratic decision making and joint accountability at the center of
> co-ops is refreshing. Still, worker co-ops aren�t just ideals anymore.