What is a Worker Cooperative?
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- čas přidán 5. 12. 2020
- What are worker-owned cooperatives, and what role might they have in changing the structure of our society? This video explores what worker cooperatives are, why they're good, and how they are a key part of a revolution, from a syndicalist perspective.
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Music: 'Backbay Lounge' by Kevin MacLeod
A great podcast episode about worker cooperatives from Upstream: www.upstreampodcast.org/worke...
If you are interested in starting a cooperative, or just reading more about them, there is a really helpful and comprehensive document on the topic here: d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net...
Sources and footnotes:
1. The average cooperative pay ratio is 5:1, at least in Mondragon, the world's largest network of worker cooperatives. I couldn't find any research for a more general statistic.
Herrera, 2004, web.archive.org/web/201007140...
2. The average pay ratio in the USA is 320 to 1:
www.epi.org/publication/ceo-c...
3. There are over 18 million businesses in the USA:
dmdatabases.com/databases/bus...
4. There are about 500 worker-owned cooperatives in the USA:
www.usworker.coop/what-is-a-w...
I love how one of the downsides is that they’re less price competitive because they pay their workers properly
It depends on the agreement, some worker coop members agreed each other to low down their wages in order to cheapen the products. It would be worth it in a long or even not so long run because it will attract more customers. More customers more profit and they can now restore their wages to normal or even higher. Having a majority of selfless like-minded members is very very extremely important.
@@greenleafyman1028 yeah don't some people reinvest they're money into the company so it does better so in the long run they'll be paid more
Economics are another factor to consider. If a co-op is doing bad financially, then they're more likely to vote for a pay cut instead of laying off members.
@@VigilanteAgumon at least they get a choice, I’d rather have a pay cut than force a person out of a job
They could just cut wages (and those at the top) to keep their edge.
What's fun about cooperatives is that they are incentivized to cooperate with other co-ops to grow yet aren't necessarily incentivized to complete because they are more able to merge if the worker body votes for it
That's the 6th principle of cooperatives.
"Cooperation among Cooperatives"
But that will create a cooperative monopoly, which would be terrible for the economy
@@aaronfield7899 democratic economy is technically another word for cooperative monopoly
I like the subtle use of hammer and sickle ;)
Subtly if you spell subtly like this: czcams.com/video/VlrUKF4095Q/video.html
Education is crucial for the worker coops. There must be a school or a university that specializes in Cooperativism. this 1 subject must be carried through out the school years whatever their majors are. Cooperativism lessons should consist of business management, business and working ethics, marketing strategy, how to organize meeting, how to budget and invest , how to compute labor hours, wages, capital contribution and the sharing of profits, how to utilize social media and create websites to advertise products in a cooperative ways and lastly on how to negotiate and cooperate with other coops.
By the way it's just only my opinion.
Came from reddit. I see only well done work, continue with this.
Share out from Argentina
YES! Thanks you for articulating the revolutionnary potential of the cooperative movement. We are working on it in Benin West Africa. Would love to connect if possible. Again... Respect.
Absolutely coops are better. After 100 years of oppression, repression and exploitation I think worker co ops are doing great. Nonetheless keep organizing. Full liberation.
This is a super helpful video for breaking up the lecture videos post pandemic. Thank you for your work! I'd love to see an animated short on the connection between labor organizing and worker cooperatives.
Love to see another economic video. You have a knack for making easy to understand, concise videos that are nonetheless filled with valuable information and insight (love the graphics too). Will be sharing this and your Marxism 101 video with others as an introduction to basic leftist principles.
I'm glad you liked it! Thank you for the support---sharing my videos around really helps!
Is there a blockchain encrypted app to coordinate propositions, ranking, and voting yet?
New to the area.
@@unitedspacepirates9075 My friend 😂this is a great idea, we should link up and make a coop🔥🔥🤷
I've always wanted to start one. Unfortunately the lightbulb hasn't turned on yet haha
I'm not even close to having the resources, but still brainstorm about it all the time.
Workers of the world unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains!
We gotta seize the means of production!
Why don't you post anymore? These are amazing!
Congratulations Jimi! Your videos area really explainable and cristal clear to understand! Keep going!
We need the Urban Co-operative in every city! The objective of the Urban Co-operative is to save energy. And to do so profitable. We have to reduce our Carbon Footprint and as a community we can save lots of energy!
Hemp is the future!
Ooh your video has just given me an inspired idea! Excellent - thank you
This was such a good video! Thank you!
Worker-owned cooperatives are a key part of revolutionizing society, as this video explains. They offer a new structure that empowers workers and emphasizes their benefits. #Coops #Revolution
I love this! Now I just need to put it into practice.. ✊
Spread the good worrrd Jimi Sol ! Love you
Like, maybe one on council democracy as in Rojava. Idk. Topics like this get me excited! Thank you for this animation!
But, no Sir! Worker-coops have NO problem outcompeting traditional businesses. That's why, contrary to your statement, pretty much every one of the many thousands around the world are thriving and only very few of them failed. In Spain one of the largest producers of goods in the nation is a worker-coop, employing millions. They don't have to raise their prices at all, because the wages and better work conditions simply do not outweigh the ridiculous wages and yearly bonuses of a 'regular' management. Not to mention the bribes and fines paid by corporations and every single dollar of profit disappearing into the pockets of the stockholders. That is why many worker-coops are able to invest back into their communities, building schools, hospitals, community centers, offering social structures like childcare and trying to improve their communities in many ways, not just their workers.
The *real* reason why worker-coops aren't massively popular is mainly because they're a democratic-socialist structure, and specifically Americans have been taught that "Socialism equals Communism, which equals The Devil". Even unions, a "lesser form of a worker-coop" have a hard time getting off the ground in the USA. People have basically been taught that all those things are very very bad because they're a direct anti-dote to capitalism's power and grip on society.
Apart from that, worker-coops are not supported by our Capitalist society, which requires a predatory structure, so they do not get funded or promoted by the government. Large corporations get trillions in tax breaks, millions in flat-out gifts from certain states, free land, environmental exemptions, you name it, and if worker-coops would get just a fraction of that as a startup capital, not even as a gift, but as an interest-free loan, that would change the entire landscape of how businesses are run across the nation.
If we would have a government who supported that, and pushed for worker-coops by making a law that says that any corporation that goes bankrupt, gets sold, moves out of the country, or otherwise changes hands, the workers get the first right to buy it, then that could not just change the nation, but as a result could change the entire world.
When I'm president I'll come back to this comment 🔥🔥🔥veery good idea
i saw this comment assuming it was against worker co-ops, it’s nice that someone here actually cares for the workers and not just profits.
Good video. I assume this is meant to be a follow-up on your capitalism video. In that context I would say one criticism of this kind of co-op socialism is that while they mostly remove the moral problem of worker exploitation, they would have many of the same inefficiency and illogical problems that regular capitalism has. Co-ops competing against each other in a market economy would still be prone to crisis, unemployment, and incentives would not always match human need. For example, if there was a defense manufacturing co-op, it would have the same incentive to lobby for war as a traditional business, in order to make more profit and stay afloat/outdo competition. You can argue that all the co-ops will come together and create a larger plan together but again, the system wouldn't incentivize that which makes it difficult to imagine happening. An alternative that would address those issues is more of a publicly owned, nationally planned kind of economy with as much democracy as possible, and also lots of co-ops and direct democracy on local levels. Not perfect either of course but worth considering.
Ah, I didn't see this as a follow up, but as an exploration of a path of improving general livelihood within the system, where as the Marx video was more focused on revolutionary theory.
Thanks for such a thoughtful response. I do agree with this criticism of co-ops as the main conduit for revolution. This video was more an introduction to the idea, rather than an exact reflection of my own beliefs on the matter.
I think that we need a combination of many different tactics to actually create an equitable society. Cooperatives are an important part, but so are unions, mutual aid networks, changes in governmental policy, restorative justice, etc. Each of these can be helpful, but none alone can completely transform society. All of them combined, however, can really make a difference. I think you hinted at this when you suggested a publicly owned, intentionally planned economy. What that would actually look like is a fascinating rabbit-hole of a topic. Maybe a future video will touch on it :)
To quote Prof. Richard D Wolff,
"Lenin once said that socialism was a goal, not yet an achieved reality. The Soviet had, instead, achieved "state capitalism." A socialist party had state power, and the state had become the industrial capitalist displacing the former private capitalists. The Soviet revolution had changed who the employer was; it had not ended the employer/employee relationship. Thus, it was - to a certain extent - capitalist"
I personally think that co-ops should be part of this transition, the transition to socialism, and like capitalist enterprises should eventually be replaced by some other model of mode of production.
There's a very interesting critique on worker co-ops that I watched recently too which has made me reevaluate the concept, even though, I don't necessarily agree with it 100%. What I do think though is that all considerations should obviously be taken into account, it would of course be foolish not to.
The video is at the following if any of you are interested at all.
czcams.com/video/G40xnE8NoHk/video.html
@@seanpol9863 His description of the Soviet system is dishonest. Lenin was describing the NEP policies of the early 1920s which were actually state capitalist (albeit a different kind of state capitalism than had existed before), but they built socialism later in the early 30s but Wolff is kind of doing the whole anti-Soviet thing as a propaganda method I think. Get away from the most vilified sources of bourgeoisie propaganda, claim it wasn't real, then we don't have to bother defending it or learning from it.
@@AllHaiLKINGTIsHeRe3
Interesting. I think I understand what you are saying though can you explain in a little more detail your last sentence?
1:49 Well, if you redistribute only the excess money that the private owner would get in private company, then you can spend it however you want without being any less competitive. So this ain't the reason. The reason why there are not so many co-ops, is because no-one wants to create a company and then give it up to employees, that they can vote him out of office.
CEO makes $2M. So each of 1000 workers instead gets $2,000. That's nothing.
the only real argument so far against worker co-ops are that there aren't enough of them, so the sample size is too small. co-ops are better in every way
They're worse at providing valuable goods to those who need them. You might think it's okay when they make their bikes cost an exorbitant amount, but what if they are a food co-op? Making food exorbitantly expensive is a horrible idea and it killed millions and millions in the 20th century.
@@authenticallysuperficial9874 this is untrue. Why do you think prices would go up so much? Because people are getting paid? The higher wages are an effect of a huge amount of profits not being funnelled to the top
@@authenticallysuperficial9874 Its all about market share
Wow! So easy to understand... Graphics are amazing too!
Really good and informative video!
Lol this channel is incredible. Love it. And your videos are very well made.
Dope. More on topics like this please
I enjoyed watching this. Super useful.
A dream of mine. Great videos 👍
Comment for the algorithm!
I love this new economy for the betterment of humanity!
Great video!
Worker-owned cooperatives are a key part in revolutionizing our society's structure. This video explains their importance and why they are beneficial from a syndicalist perspective. Watch to learn more!
The only key part is revolution. But this may help ease the pain of some people while still under capitalism
Excellent excellent video
Just commenting to make the algorithm extend your videos to be recommended, this is a clear example of a infravalorated channel
You are awesome!
Is there a blockchain encrypted app to coordinate propositions, ranking, and voting yet?
Great video. At least in theory the competitive drawbacks of paying ourselves more would be (partly or wholly) off-set by not having to pay non-working shareholders. I think the main issue for worker cooperatives is lack of access to capital (since we are workers not capitalists), and like someone else mentioned a lack of incentive for people to start worker cooperatives. Since you get no benefit out of being the founder(s), the question is why put in the foundational work? (which is often hard and risky). For the lack of capital, i think we need banks controlled by local communities. This also gives the local community a say in which companies can / will be founded in their area. As for the founders, i think we can come up with some incentives that don't lead to vast inequality (i.e. a non-transferrable voting share of 10%, not allowing them to be fired by the other coop members [barring extreme circumstances], guaranteeing them a good living wage for life). Another productive tweak in the cooperative model would be to base voting shares on hours worked in a set period (e.g. the past year). This seems more fair to me, gives founders extra influence (and incentive) initially, and incentivizes people to put in more work.
Hello Jimi, I really liked your animation for cooperatives, I promote the idea of agricultural cooperatives in Uzbekistan, can I translate the text in the animation into my native language and publish on your behalf in social networks
nice vid
Genuine question: my girlfriend has a small CZcams channel and I was wondering is it worth her doing the same as you, as in not using ads on her videos? Asking for patreon support?
Peace from Ireland ✌🏼🇮🇪💚
Companies should be able to vote to become a coop like they can to unionize.
For the algorithm. ✊🏾
Do co-ops work for businesses that supply non essential products? Say like a comic store?
Certainly! Here is a list of several worker cooperatives that provide arts and media related services: www.workercooperativenetwork.org/cooperative-directory/arts-and-media/
One on the list is a book store. While it isn't a comic store, I reckon it is similar enough to demonstrate that the concept is feasible. :) Thanks for asking!
i agree
With the use of blockchain smart contracts I can see worker cooporative becoming more common in companies.
Good news
I’ve had this thought for sometime.
Having billionaires who want to donate $, set up manufacturing businesses across USA. Making products that are only made in China, not competing directly to domestic businesses. Business model would be along the lines of workers coop, would not necessarily have to generate profit. Pay livable wage, offer benefits such as health plans, day care, education, etc.
Of course, this is simplified thought and plenty of obstacles. But I feel most people want fair opportunity and not sit at home handouts.
inspire
There is a grocery chain called Publix that sells shares of stock exclusively to its workers. This motivates workers to work harder making the business run better. Credit unions work similarly. This also protects the business from outside investment and influence. Also the disparity of salary between worker and decision maker is not that great snd most devision makers ascend meritocratically or are voted in by the workers. This is also somewhat technocratic as it seems logical that a small group of workers would make sound decisions as their very job and livelihoods would hinge on their decisions. I have often heard of these types of businesses referred to as "the people's capitalism" as the business is still technically in private hands rather than the government.
I think this would insulate an economy from distant faceless in investors who seek only profit without regard to the workers or their insights and inputs.
Anyone can enlighten me how to create animations like this?
Problem is that if a competing co-op comes in will the cooperatives allow it?
since co-ops don't compete for the profit of upper management &/or shareholders, they might just combine so both parties are allowed to make more money.
The problem with Co ops is there still in competition with each other. While it makes a nicer friendly company to work for. Its still a business model that has a pentagon because they have competition. IT GOES NUCLUER
The workers can vote to change what they produce to cooperate with other coops.
Nice Subtle Sickle and Hammer 😉
Co-ops are actually 50% likely to file for bankruptcy than normal businesses so they are quite resilient
No wonder why Vietnam's agriculture industry is top tier with more than 21,000 co-ops
we need smth like a gold to replace the money. the gold can be weighted and then given at any desired qnty
No, gold should be kept for use in industry. Workers should be given what they need and want in exchange for their work
@@a70770 dont fuck with me boy, otherwise rouble will become a world reserve currency
I only just got my head around what a co-op is so forgive me for asking what is probably a bit of a noob question, but where do co-ops draw the line in what is defined as a 'worker'. Let's take the example of a bricklaying company. Yes, you have the obvious workers - the guys who lay the bricks, the guys who stir the mortar and give the directions as to how the bricks should lie, but let's say you've got a leaky pipe in the main office bathroom and you need someone to fix it. In a traditional capitalist system, you would contract a plumber to fix the pipe, but I don't imagine the plumber would need to buy a share in the co-op before doing a job. This might seem unproblematic at first, but if co-ops are permitted to contract people, why would it then be impermissible for them to contract their bricklayers, mortar stirrers, project managers in the same way. I suppose it is arguable that there is no identifiable profit to be made in having clean pipes and drains, but who's to say? A company would undoubtedly be better off with such things, and could easily negotiate a price which would be at more profitable than another price. I feel like I'm missing an obvious piece in the puzzle here, but needs some help figuring it out if you could be so kind. Thank you in advance.
I don't have the piece to the puzzle but could this be one of the reasons why he says coops would work better if there were a lot more coops in the economy.That plumber would simply come from another coop and hence they'll either be asking for the other coop's services,OR,it would be an agreement between the two coops for them to share resources (in this case the plumber)
how would sectors which can potentially be very damaged by the inherent problem of populism in a democracy be run? for example shipping and military. i generally like the idea of a more democratically run workplace environment but i don't think it would be suitable for every sector.
hello
For the algorithm
That juicy hammer and sickle at minute 2:00
I don't think anybody wants to put their wealth as the capital to start that kindda business unless it's those workers are the ones who start the business. Also, the payment should be proportionate to the value they bring in!
Worker Coops are controls by the Worker.
Worker Commune is when the Worker actually owns their places of works.
So its the US gov on micro level
Or just start a massive user coop that is not owned by the workers but by the users of the goods and services (basically skip to the part where they coordinate for humanities greater good).
Workers and users are at odds which is why WC can not compete in the existing marketplace
Goods made and distributed at cost can outcompete each sector they start in (against typical worker exploited non coops)
Working for a WC is a great Job, buying ALL our goods from a user coop should be a no brainer (better goods, for cheaper than currently available)
User coops would be transparent and democratic, causing other business to follow suite or bankrupt (people will not shop for those that do not disclose as it becomes standard)
Consumer coops still exploit their workers.
Consumer coop is the silliest thing I've ever heard. You choose where you stand your money.
Don't like one place? Go to their competitor.
it is not hard to start a co-op if you force your politicians to give you public infrastructure banks that only fund them and community projects.
imo all businesses in america should be turned into co-ops. will be much better for our economy, our workers, and future generations in the long term.
The cashless part is kinda pie in the sky.
But my co-op will trade you 2 bicycles for 10,000 of your eggs.
Pyrates were ahead of their time
To establish worker cooperatives properly . We have to firstly destroy the private ownerships either by peacefully or by revolution .
In my opinion , we must have worker cooperatives in those industries which are doing production of anything .
And some things like education , healthcare , food , water , housing should be free for all .
Peace means compromise. There is no room to compromise with the oppressor.
Are there any real worker co-ops out there?
Why, yes there are! They are relatively rare, so there may not be any in your area. Here is a helpful directory of existing worker owned cooperatives in the United States: www.usworker.coop/directory/
*When you’re a capitalist who supports firm payment regulation in voluntary cities*
High school musical
This + anarchosyndicalism = end of capitalism
What is anarchosyndicalism? It is a new word for me hehehe.
Why not mention housing cooperatives, credit unions and mutual insurance companies? They are all cooperatives
Most probably a very corrupt situation. 😮😅😅😅
Wait. So are co ops socialist or not? It doesn’t seem to abolish private property. Worker co ops are still subject to market forces and competition with one another.
According to Marx’s writings It doesn’t matter whether it’s a worker coop or state run enterprise, they have to be managed by the working class in order to bring upon socialism, socialism/early stage communism is when money and capital is replaced with a non-circulation and non-accumulation currency called a labour voucher/credit. If not capital will still exist. No “socialist” nation has achieved socialism. However, recent scientific breakthroughs in computation, time-dollars and linear algebra, have shown that labour vouchers are applicable to society.
in one way, yes, they are socialism because they put people and society at the center of their practices and goals rather than merely capital. in another way, no they are not socialism like failed models of statist socialism we have seen in the past. it is perhaps better to say workers coops have socialistic principles and practices. also, private property isnt really the problem, its how concentrated the control of benefits of property (like a business) actually are. as stated in the video, some workers dont have much if any say in the workers cooperative, but they tend to be treated better and paid well because the benefits of owning property like a business are more equitably distributed with the welfare and happiness of workers as a main priority. competition isnt a capitalistic invention nor are market forces like supply and demand. similar to private property, what we think of as those things has however been distorted by capitalism.
We should do this with the entire country.
There is a alternative to farmers Co ops. Since they were mostly gay men in the soviet union. Nationalize FFA and all the farm belts land. The family farms have to attend FFA meetings once a month. Or the NVA kicks them off there land.
Prioritising collective benefit over personal benefit is worth the profit loss trust me, imagine the world was run like this
A new global government model has to go out at the UN.
disagree fam, coops have to engage in a bourgeois market, you cant have a "co-op revolution". Only a politically organized proletariat can build the power to struggle against capital. Coops are a technicality - they can easily be integrated by capital and have all at some level of another, you cant take the working class out of its historic role with any kind of technical engineering.
you forget that coops of certain kinds and at certain scales provide social connection and security, employment, income and goods which enable them to exist to a large degree despite and outside mainstream capital. they can exist as a better alternative which takes capital, and therefore power, out of the hands of current capitalistic stakeholders. in and of themselves, they arent 'taking over' anything, they are providing alternate, better methods, practices and outcomes which is itself revolutionary in the real sense of the word. evolution is probably a better word, but from a viewpoint within capitalism, the slow growth and potential of workers cooperatives to be a better and more viable way to work and live can still be considered revolutionary.
Video ended with communism! Truly revolutionary! LOL!
Without unionism you will never get the government back the working class was supposed to have.
Greed is an issue. I don't think a greedy, power hungry person is a good fit for a co-op. The goals and intent are different.
The hammer and sickle imagery and the sign saying "revolution" makes it difficult to share this with liberals and conservatives one wants to reach. :/
That is a good point. I tried to omit ever saying "capitalism" in the video for that very reason, but I agree, the hammer and sickle imagery is a little less than subtle. Do you think the term "revolution" is something liberals and conservatives are particularly averse to, though? After all, they don't hesitate to describe the iPhone as revolutionary. Why not cooperatives?
@@JimiSol I see what you're saying about the iPhone, but, I think it's different because it's seen as a revolution WITHIN the capitalist framework- it doesn't represent a challenge. I think liberals and progressives are less averse to it, but if my extended family is representative at all (and, I concede that they might not be) "revolution" outside of an explicitly pro-capitalist or American history context is scary, and they react with disgust and anger. I mean, to them Sanders was "a dangerous revolutionary, bent on taking your home!"
It's a really well written video aside from that, though! I enjoyed it and would love to share it out if I thought it would be well received.
@@JimiSol a coop at scale is just a state then
@@JimiSol revolution has been ill-defined, misunderstood and surrounded by propaganda. it is the correct word for you to use, but unfortunately you must contextualize it as you implied. I think it is better understood as evolution of the cycles of individual and social life. more simply, workers cooperatives are not the pejorative definition of revolution as force or the overthrowing and sudden change that breaks things. rather, it is slow growth that evolves to a point where it becomes the best method or the dominant system due to its benefits and sustainability. from the point of view within capitalism as we are, this is revolutionary. from a viewpoint beyond capitalism, this is merely evolutionary with aspects of revolution at certain times and places where large changes occur in relatively short period of time. as jim brown pointed out in his ted talk about workers cooperatives on yt, the cycle of poverty is no money and insecurity=no education=no jobs=no money and insecurity. extended to your notion of cooperatives as potentially being revolutionary, more money, security and happiness=healthier and happier workers with money to afford basic necessities and education=more money, security and happiness. as far as the imagery is concerned, Dr. Wolff pointed out that the failures of statist socialism, as seen in part in china and ussr, have led to the propaganda and misinformation surrounding socialism and associated topics like workers cooperatives. in effect you are talking about socialistic principles, and, even if you avoid saying socialism, you have to recontextualize it. avoiding the imagery would definitely help, and i think you should understand that older statist notions of socialism have failed. Norway is one example of a functioning socialistic state democracy. however, as economics explained pointed out in his yt vid on norway, unlike Norway, not all countries can win the oil lottery without getting the freedom treatment, and even fewer countries will manage and invest their resources wisely based on socialistic principles.
Something that kills innovation.
(( vote )) why? Every ones needs can be met by free giving from the heart in a harmony with every ones needs. and there is a process how to do that. Vote means sacrifice minority needs for the sake of majority. stupid. we don't vote at all we solving problems by applying strategies, accordingly to human needs.
A workers cooperative is a disaster.
I write about the mechanics of making co-ops more competitive without sacrificing pay or democracy and building out more cooperative systems in my article Outcompeting Capitalism, at my free substack Longstache (Meta-Stewardship)