News
July 15, 2015
The Democracy at Work Institute is Hiring! We are looking for experienced, self-directed, and collaborative staff to join our dynamic national organization supporting the field of worker cooperative development. We are hiring a Business Strategist and a Local Initiatives Organizer. Applications are due by August 11, 2015. Check out our Job Posting page for more information.
June 30, 2015
The Democracy at Work Institute has created a fellowship program to support the current and next generation of worker cooperative development leaders and their organizations to engage with the question of scale: what does scale mean, how can coop developers incorporate approaches to scale in their work, what tools and relationships are needed to build scale?
As cities across the U.S. are looking to worker cooperatives as a form of job creation and wealth building, DAWI took our fellows on a... more
June 26, 2015
As cities throughout the country explore innovative ways to invest in building economies that meet the needs of all residents in sustainable ways, New York City is leading the way by supporting the development of local, worker-owned businesses. On June 23, 2015, the City Council approved a second year of funding for the Worker Cooperative Business Development Initiative, expanding its commitment to support cooperative businesses that are owned and controlled by residents of New York City. All... more
April 27, 2015
For financial institutions looking to create deep and lasting impact, worker cooperatives are a powerful tool for economic and community development. They reduce inequality by allowing a greater segment of the population to build assets through business ownership. They combat poverty by providing access to employment for marginalized populations. And they strengthen local economies by rooting businesses in their communities.
Currently, there are an estimated 300-400 worker cooperatives in the... more
April 9, 2015
On April 23, worker cooperative leaders from around the country will convene in Denver for Worker Cooperatives in Focus, a day of events co-hosted by the Democracy at Work Institute and the National Center for Employee Ownership. This exciting event will address a range of cooperative development topics centered on bringing the worker cooperative movement to scale, including cooperative ownership transitions, capital access, and the intersection of worker cooperatives and employee stock... more
March 26, 2015
The idea of selling a business to its employees and converting it to a worker owned cooperative is gaining traction as a viable succession strategy. It is a strategy that saves jobs, builds community wealth, and empowers workers to own and manage their own business. Worker cooperatives differ from other business entity types in that they are owned and democratically controlled by their workers, and workers share in the risk and reward of operating the business.
While the potential for... more
March 18, 2015
On March 18, New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio continued his public support of worker cooperatives as a tool to address economic inequality, signing into law the first ever piece of city legislation to require a city's economic development arm to track municipal support of worker cooperatives. This bill is another highlight in a campaign by the New York City Worker Cooperative Coalition to increase city support for worker ownership. It follows a $1.2 million dollar investment last summer to... more
March 9, 2015
Worker cooperatives have increasingly drawn attention from the media, policy makers and academics in recent years. Individual cooperatives across the country have been highlighted, and substantive studies have been conducted of the worker cooperative experience in other countries, including Spain, Italy, France, Canada and Argentina. But what do we know about worker cooperatives in the US as a whole? Given the limited data available, the Democracy at Work Institute conducted a national survey... more
March 3, 2015
This resource is intended to give small business support organizations a background on how the worker cooperative model can help entrepreneurs reach their dreams. By exposing entrepreneurs to the shared ownership model, and providing access to resources to help them implement it, small business support organizations can expand the benefits of business ownership. Partnering with cooperative support organizations, small business support organizations can provide educational materials and... more
January 30, 2015
After working with professionals to determine which entity type is right for your worker cooperative, the next step is to work with professionals to develop your governing documents. Bylaws and operating agreements should include high-level information about the governance of the organization. They clarify and codify the democratic governance and ownership of your cooperative, help provide a structure through which the cooperative can grow, and provide a last resort for conflict resolution if... more
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