Maybe We Should Just Replace Government Services With Worker Co-ops
In Mondrogon Spain, as a response to Franco's dismantling of the social safety net, the muti-billion dollar democratic worker co-op economy arose as a response. When the government stopped taking care of people, the worker co-ops picked up the slack. That is what we will have to do here in Madison. We can build a sane, just, fair, and democratic economy--and lead others across the state in doing the same.
Community Pharmacy, Ithsmus Engineering, Just Coffee, Lakeside Press, Natures Bakery, Union Cab, Union Technology--these are all living examples of how this method already works. These are businesses owned not by rich stock holders alienated from the people they are stealing from. They are owned by the workers, who have an interest in running sustainable businesses so they can keep their jobs. Every worker gets just one vote. They are managed democratically, under conditions of free and open debate and assembly. The profits are distributed fairly among the workers. In other words: democracy in the workplace.
When they screw with the bus system in Madison, potentially causing it to go under--we help the bus drivers create a separate, worker owned, independent bus co-op. Maybe it could be a hybrid co-op owned by the workers and the people who ride the bus. If food and water production and distribution systems are threatened, we build our own worker co-op food and water distribution systems. We could have communications co-ops, snow plowing co-ops, gardening co-ops, manufacturing co-ops (yeah, how about actually making things) and the list goes on and on.
This is good for the planet, too. (Has anyone else noticed that the polar ice caps are still melting?) It's good for the planet because worker co-ops actually care about preserving their own jobs, and these days that translates to greening the businesses.
When enough democratic workplaces exist, they can band together in an economy of scale that can replace the social safety net for workers now being destroyed by the rich.
I think we all really need to explore these ideas--along with the electoral, recall, protest, boycott, and strike fronts. If you don't have much experience with worker co-ops, do some exploration. Find out about them. Purchase their goods and services to give them a try. Talk to the people who work there.
This is a viable dream for Madison. Mayor Elect Soglin has called publicly for a conference of co-operatives to help rebuild the city. Imagine the possibilities.
Community Pharmacy, Ithsmus Engineering, Just Coffee, Lakeside Press, Natures Bakery, Union Cab, Union Technology--these are all living examples of how this method already works. These are businesses owned not by rich stock holders alienated from the people they are stealing from. They are owned by the workers, who have an interest in running sustainable businesses so they can keep their jobs. Every worker gets just one vote. They are managed democratically, under conditions of free and open debate and assembly. The profits are distributed fairly among the workers. In other words: democracy in the workplace.
When they screw with the bus system in Madison, potentially causing it to go under--we help the bus drivers create a separate, worker owned, independent bus co-op. Maybe it could be a hybrid co-op owned by the workers and the people who ride the bus. If food and water production and distribution systems are threatened, we build our own worker co-op food and water distribution systems. We could have communications co-ops, snow plowing co-ops, gardening co-ops, manufacturing co-ops (yeah, how about actually making things) and the list goes on and on.
This is good for the planet, too. (Has anyone else noticed that the polar ice caps are still melting?) It's good for the planet because worker co-ops actually care about preserving their own jobs, and these days that translates to greening the businesses.
When enough democratic workplaces exist, they can band together in an economy of scale that can replace the social safety net for workers now being destroyed by the rich.
I think we all really need to explore these ideas--along with the electoral, recall, protest, boycott, and strike fronts. If you don't have much experience with worker co-ops, do some exploration. Find out about them. Purchase their goods and services to give them a try. Talk to the people who work there.
This is a viable dream for Madison. Mayor Elect Soglin has called publicly for a conference of co-operatives to help rebuild the city. Imagine the possibilities.