Exciting developments in organized labor/cooperative movement collaboration!!!!

[Daphne Loring]

Hello Cooperative Maine!

There are a few recent developments connecting organized labor with the cooperative movement that I'd like to share with you and its VERY exciting!!!

First of all, last Tuesday night the Western Maine Labor Council passed a resolution (pasted below)  committing future collaboration with the cooperative movement.  Secondly, the Maine State AFL-CIO decided to study the issue and resolves made in the resolution and to act on it in the future.  This resolution was based on one passed by and AFSME local in Oregon and will be considered before the Oregon and Massachusetts state AFL-CIO conventions as well.  Apologies that we didn't include Cooperative Maine in the process earlier, it all developed very quickly.  There is still an incredible amount of education and organizing to be done, and that has yet to be mapped out (including considerations of capacity)

There is obviously a lot of work to connect and build these movements, but a lot of opportunity as well and something that I am personally very excited about.  Our actions here in Maine are all the more exciting given the announcement by the United Steelworkers today that they have established a "framework agreement for collaboration in establishing MONDRAGON cooperatives in the manufacturing sector within the United States and Canada." !!!

A copy of the resolution and the USW press release are pasted below! 

In solidarity,

Daphne

Daphne Loring
UNITEHERE! 486, Western Maine Labor Council trustee
207.266.5895

[Worker-owned]* Co-op Resolution

WHEREAS the historic ties between the Labor movement and the Cooperative (Co-op) movement are great and varied; and
 
WHEREAS the modern labor movement has treated the Co-op movement as just another business model; and
 
WHEREAS the labor movement needs to diversify and become more inclusive in order to grow; and
 
WHEREAS the economic, social, and environmental challenges our county faces may require us to organize new types of hybridized businesses including Co-ops; and
 
WHEREAS models where Co-ops are members of unions are beneficial to both Co-ops and Labor unions; and
 
WHEREAS cooperative business model is one of potentially many that are consistent with the goals of the working class;
 
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that we join forces with Co-ops in our perspective employment fields to replace those existing corporate business models that do not serve the best interests of our members; and
 
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we do not invest exclusively in corporate businesses, but instead give priority to investing in Co-op businesses; and
 
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we build coalitions with Co-ops focusing on mutually beneficial political, social, and environmental causes.

* I believe the resolution passed by the Western Maine Labor Council did not distinguish among co-ops, however the one before the Maine State AFL-CIO specifically referred to worker-owned cooperatives

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Steelworkers Form Collaboration with MONDRAGON, the
World’s Largest Worker-Owned Cooperative

Pittsburgh (Oct. 27, 2009) – The United Steelworkers (USW) and MONDRAGON Internacional, S.A. today announced a framework agreement for collaboration in establishing MONDRAGON cooperatives in the manufacturing sector within the United States and Canada. The USW and MONDRAGON will work to establish manufacturing cooperatives that adapt collective bargaining principles to the MONDRAGON worker ownership model of “one worker, one vote.”

“We see today’s agreement as a historic first step towards making union co-ops a viable business model that can create good jobs, empower workers, and support communities in the United States and Canada,” said USW International President Leo W. Gerard.  “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.”
 
Josu Ugarte, President of MONDGRAGON Internacional added: “What we are announcing today represents a historic first – combining the world’s largest industrial worker cooperative with one of the world’s most progressive and forward-thinking manufacturing unions to work together so that our combined know-how and complimentary visions can transform manufacturing practices in North America.”
 
Highlighting the differences between Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) and union co-ops, Gerard said, “We have lots of experience with ESOPs, but have found that it doesn’t take long for the Wall Street types to push workers aside and take back control.  We see Mondragon’s cooperative model with ‘one worker, one vote’ ownership as a means to re-empower workers and make business accountable to Main  Street instead of Wall Street.”
 
Both the USW and MONDRAGON emphasized the shared values that will drive this collaboration. Mr. Ugarte commented, “We feel inspired to take this step based on our common set of values with the Steelworkers who have proved time and again that the future belongs to those who connect vision and values to people and put all three first. We are excited about working with Mondragon because of our shared values, that work should empower workers and sustain families and communities,” Gerard added.
 
In the coming months, the USW and MONDRAGON will seek opportunities to implement this union co-op hybrid approach by sharing the common values put forward by the USW and MONDGRAGON and by operating in similar manufacturing segments in which both the USW and MONDRAGON already participate.
 
The full text of the Agreement is available at http://assets.usw.org/Releases/agree_usw_mondragon.pdf


About MONDRAGON:
 
The MONDRAGON Corporation mission is to produce and sell goods and provide services and distribution using democratic methods in its organizational structure and distributing the assets generated for the benefit of its members and the community, as a measure of solidarity.  MONDRAGON began its activities in 1956 in the Basque town of Mondragon by a rural village priest with a transformative vision who believed in the values of worker collaboration and working hard to reach for and realize the common good.  
 
Today, with approximately 100,000 cooperative members in over 260 cooperative enterprises present in more than forty countries; MONDRAGON Corporation is committed to the creation of greater social wealth through customer satisfaction, job creation, technological and business development, continuous improvement, the promotion of education, and respect for the environment.   In 2008, MONDRAGON Corporation reached annual sales of more than sixteen billion euros with its own cooperative university, cooperative bank, and cooperative social security mutual and is ranked as the top Basque business group, the seventh largest in Spain, and the world’s largest industrial workers cooperative.
 
About the USW:
 
The USW is North America’s largest industrial union representing 1.2 million active and retired members in a diverse range of industries.
 
WEBSITES:  www.usw.org <http://www.usw.org/>

                       www.mondragon-corporation.com <http://www.mondragon-corporation.com/>
 

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Daphne Loring, Coordinator
Maine Fair Trade Campaign
238 Goddard Rd.
Lewiston, ME 04240
207.777.6387 (office)
207.266.5895 (cell)
www.mainefairtrade.org


**Proud members of MaineShare workplace giving <http://www.maineshare.org/> -
Donate to MFTC through MaineShare by directing funds to the Maine Foreign Affairs Education Fund

[Jane Livingston]

I have forward this to the editor of the National Cooperative Business Assn.'s Cooperative Business Journal, very exciting!!

 

Since 1993 when I coordinated the Maine Coalition for Fair Trade's fight against NAFTA I have been talking to my labor buddies about the overlap in co-op and trade union mission, values, ethic, vision, etc. etc. Still, my standrad line is, "Why bargain with the boss when you can BE the boss?" The recent fooforaw about healthcare co-ops (SOOO much misinfo and disinfo) has confused our allies some, in part since much of the impetus for the co-op model has come from Beltway bandits of the R-flavor rather than the D-flavor. Maybe we need a new flavor!!!

 

let's get this revolution on the road. 

[Al Smith]

How exciting!!!!!!!!!!  Al

[Ed Democracy]

Daphne,   Jen (Gutshall) Caruso, of CDI, was telling me about some recent developments in the redevelopment of the partnership between labor unions & cooperatives around the country.  I had not had a chance to follow up to see what might be cooking here in Maine.  Very exciting news!!!   Please keep us posted!  Thanks!   Ed Democracy Volunteer Coordinator Cooperative  Maine business rooted in community www.cooperativemaine.org     --- On Wed, 10/28/09, Daphne Loring <dap...@mainefairtrade.org> wrote:

From: Daphne Loring <dap...@mainefairtrade.org> Subject: [Cooperative Maine] Exciting developments in organized labor/cooperative movement collaboration!!!!