Unions and Co-­ops
History:
-­ Early US Labor Unions saw cooperatives as part of a strategy to empower working class people. But along
the way, the labor movement and the cooperative movement have drifted apart.
Obstacles to union/co-­op partnerships:
● Usually, being in a ‘management’ position at your company makes you ineligible to join a union.
Because of this, some co-­ops with horizontal or collective management structures have been declined
for membership in unions, because they said “all of us are managers!” Unions depend on a solid line
between workers and management, while co-­ops blur that line.
● There is some uneasiness on both sides of the union -­ co-­op equation. Unions might feel, If workers are
owners, maybe they don’t really need unions? Unions have fought for greater power in the economy,
and may see co-­ops as a threat, rather than a partner, in that struggle.
● On the other hand, some co-­ops have been reluctant to join unions because of the political culture of
some unions. Every union is different, but some of the more visible ones have traditionally been not as
progressive as your average worker co-­op, and not always welcoming to women and people of color.
Why co-­ops need unions:
● Unions have resources to provide services that individual co-­ops find hard to offer. Your union might be
able to help with conflict and mediation services, discounts on insurance for its members, pensions and
retirement funds.
● Unions are set up to protect workers from exploitation by management and owners. But what about
when the workers are the management and/or owners? Do we need protection from ourselves?
Actually, it’s possible we do. Entrepreneurs, especially immigrants to the US are known for a
phenomenon called “self-­exploitation”, in which the business owner makes tremendous personal
sacrifices, like working very long weeks with no pay, in order to get a business off the ground. While
some people might say this is just the cost of entrepreneurship, for people without much wealth or
income, it is a very dangerous place to get in to.
● Co-­ops can benefit from the organizing power and political clout that comes from belonging to a union,
especially when it comes to pushing for better prices for their services.
● Many people who start worker co-­ops do so because they want to make a change in the whole industry
they work in. In this case, joining a union is a way to practice solidarity with other workers in non-­co-­op
shops.
● Some co-­ops have found that belonging to a union opens doors to certain customers who would not do
business with them otherwise. An example of this is the printing industry, which has several co-­op
businesses across the country. Many of their customers want the “union bug” on their printed materials,
and will only consider union printers.
Why unions need co-­ops:
● In recent years, unions have experienced a period of declining membership & influence. Many are now
realizing that they need to be creative in imagining who the union members of the future will be.
● Similarly, many unions also realize that expanding past their traditional base (of white men) is good for
workers, and good for the unions too.
● While the worker co-­op sector is small, it is full of dedicated people who care deeply about their rights
as workers. This is a group of people that the labor movement cannot afford to overlook.
New directions & partnerships
United Steel Workers (USW) and Spain’s Mondragon Co-­op have formed a US-­based partnership to promote
more co-­op ownership of union shops. For more information: http://www.usw.org/our_union/co-­ops
If you want to join a union:
● Some unions are more familiar with the co-­op model and more open than others to exploring
membership with you. If you are interested in having your workplace join a union, start by contacting
one of the following: The Service Employees Industrial Union (SEIU), United Electrical Workers (UE),
United Steel Workers (USW), United Auto Workers (UAW), or the Industrial Workers of the World
(IWW).
● The traditional method of starting a union involves: settin up an organizing committee;; identifying the
important issues;; signing up members;; petitioning the state to hold an election;; winnin the election;; and
negotiating a contract with the management.
● It costs money to be part of a union, and the membership dues are usually deducted out of your
paycheck.
When is a union not a union?
There are a few groups organized for workers who are not the employees of a cooperative or any other
business. They may choose not to become employees, or they may be ineligible because of their immigration
status, incarceration history, or some other reason. If you fall into one of these categories, take a look at:
● The National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA) is an organization of domestic workers including
cleaners, nannies, cooks, home health aides, and others, who may either be self-­employed, or
employed by an agency or by the household directly, to fight for the rights of household workers.
● The Boston Workers’ Alliance (BWA) is a membership organization of unemployed and under-­employed
workers in Boston, who organize to create jobs and to gain access to jobs, particularly for people with
barriers to employment because of a history of arrest or imprisonment.
● Freelancer’s Union -­ this organization is made up of self-­employed people who work alone, but want the
economies of scale that come with working in a larger organization, such as health insurance and legal
assistance.