Cooperatives

From the publisher:
Preface by Naomi Klein and Avi Lewis

This is the inside story of Argentina’s remarkable movement to create factories run democratically by workers themselves.

In 2001, the economy of Argentina collapsed. Unemployment reached a quarter of the workforce. Out of these terrible conditions was born a new movement of workers who decided to take matters into their own hands.

They took over control of their workplaces, restarted production, and democratically decided how they would organize their work. “Occupy, resist, produce” became the watchwords of this vibrant movement.

Sin Patrón tells the story of Argentina’s occupied and recovered workplaces.

Or rather, it lets the workers themselves tell their stories. Appearing for the first time in English, this book explores ten case studies of recovered companies, featuring interviews with movement leaders that provide a history from the shopfloor—history that is still being made today.

"...[A] cooperatively run bike shop in Portland, Oregon. We have two store locations. The Citybikes Repair Shop specializes in custom repairs, and used and new parts and accessories."

One of the largest and most successful worker cooperative groups on earth. Inspirational and contraversial, Mondragon provides the main example of organized worker cooperation in the world.

Wheatsville is currently having its elections. If you are a Wheatsville member, you should vote in them. NOW! PUT DOWN THAT LONE STAR AND VOTE!
Wheatsville Board Elections

Wheatsville, if you didn't know, is a cooperative store. Meaning members in theory run the thing, and do so by voting on the composition of the Board of Directors and other matters (boycotts, nonprofit donations, etc.). However, the voter turnout in these elections is remarkably small. I'm generally not one to encourage voting, but when it's in co-ops and local issues it's pretty important.