participate

[contrary_wise]

While looking online for a replacement for a vibrator that died recently,* I discovered that Good Vibrations is no longer a worker-owned cooperative. I got their catalog in the mail for ages before I finally bought my first sex toy from them about ten years ago. And their coop business model was a fantastic example of feminist anti-capitalism in

Comments

[contrary_wise]

I would love for you to dish on this one. I'm interested in Good Vibrations and Come As You Are in particular because I do research on sex-positive feminist discourses and these stores figure heavily in that. I'm also generally interested in coops as alternatives to dominant capitalist economic structures. I've done some organizing and volunteer work with collectives and I'm trying to sort out the differences and the overlaps between collectives and coops as I contemplate become more heavily involved with a local food collective. I'm also on the executive of a TA union and we spend a lot of time talking about our work practices. I'm the token radical so I'm always trying to articulate different ways of doing things that are potentially more equitable and less structured along strict boss-worker lines.

What were the loyalty agreements about? Non-competition clauses? The CNN piece I linked to mentioned that Joani Blank helped others start similar businesses, including Babeland. And she was involved in the founding of Come As You Are too. How did that affect co-op spirit?

[gordonzola]

I wanted to write more, just haven't had time. sorry.

yes, what I called "loyalty agreements" were non-competition clauses. One woman started an online company (since folded) and the board got all possesive and made everyone sign non-comp clauses. a couple of people quit over it because of the change in atmosphere and lack of trust it created. Just an incredibly bad move, really. Would they really have tried to enforce them? Doubtful.

I cannot speak to the Joani Blank question. She was not very involved at GV beyond the publishing, I don't think. At least once she sold to the workers.

They were hurt by 9/11 and the downturn in non-necesity retail, no doubt. And the fact that co-ops can't get loans is a huge problem. When we moved into our current space there were no co-op resources (unlike Canada). Only because the City Government of San Francisco helped guarantee our loans did we land what we needed.* A sex biz, no matter how cool or non-threatening, will never get that kind of help. in that way, I do feel for them and realize the problems they had trying to expand.

Differences between "collectives" and "co-ops" hinges a lot on incorporation (which varies by state) and semantics.

*We needed $2 million in 1996. Full disclosure: I will be on the BOD of a US worker co-op loan fund that is just forming now.