Democratic Underground - Discussion about the citizen co-op/cooperative model

An article posted by Joanne98 prompted me to bring this discussion here, in what I felt was the most appropriate group category, to continue discussion about cooperatives and gather the information in one place.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=103&topic_id=509361&mesg_id=509361

I've subscribed to Google Alerts and will post articles that may seem of interest here in this thread.

http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/Opinion/2010/0111/To-jumpstart-US-job-market-turn-workers-into-owners

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Just last month, the UN declared 2012 the International Year of Cooperatives. It’s urging governments worldwide to collaborate with the co-op movement to reduce poverty and create more productive societies.

And Michael Moore sent a valentine to the co-op movement in his latest film, “Capitalism: A Love Story.” As a form of economic democracy, he said in an interview, co-ops are “the patriotic thing to do.”

In hard times like these, the co-op model makes sense. After all, public confidence in corporations, banks, and the larger financial system is at low ebb, while unemployment is at its highest level in 25 years. Homeownership, historically a reliable way to build equity, has been rocked by foreclosures. People are looking for other ways to do business and save money.

Turning workers into investors isn’t new. We’re all familiar with dot-com employees whose vested stock options turned them into overnight millionaires. And Employee Stock Ownership Plans have long allowed workers to invest in their companies. But worker-owned co-ops are unique because employees own 100 percent of the business, so they have a voice in how it’s run.

<snip>

Now I REALLY want to see Michael Moore's latest. I wonder if it's still in theatres? I see they're taking pre-orders for the DVD.

:hi:

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