Why a Worker Cooperative?

• the right to vote (one vote per employee, not per share);
• the right to serve as leader (i.e. board director);
• the right to information;
• the right to speak your mind.

We believe that being a cooperative is a natural organizational model that motivates all of us to participate and remain commited to our jointly set goals.

A worker cooperative is an alternative for-profit structure based upon standard democratic principles. It is not designed to maximize profits, nor returns to investors, but rather to bring to the workplace many of the rights and responsibilities that we hold as citizens in our communities. These principles include one-person/one-vote equality; free speech; and the equitable distribution of resources (such as income).

A worker co-op is not owned by outside shareholders or a small group of founders or partners but by all the employees. Top level managers and entry-level employees have equal voting shares and control. We collectively elect our Board of Directors. The Board in turn is responsible for hiring and supervising management. Consequently a circle is formed, as in American civic democracy, of everyone being accountable to someone else.

The delegation of responsibilities is very much like that of conventional firms - which allows for efficiency - except that every employee has equal control in major decision making.

We support the efforts of other cooperative organization and encourage you to consider supporting other co-ops through your participation and patronage of United States Federation of Worker Cooperatives, Coop America, and also the international focus of ncba.coop. We also wish to thank individuals at Equal Exchange and The ICA Group, who provided either motivation and/or practical help in directing us towards a worker cooperative structure.

We think it is a great way to blend our values with our jobs.