Our Cooperative Values

WE ARE A COOPERATIVE CORPORATION
  1. A cooperative is a legal person grouping together persons or societies that have common economic, social or cultural needs.
  2. The idea is to cooperate with members of our communities, in order to find common solutions to common problems, so everyone involved can benefit from collective progress.

THE EIGHT COOPERATIVE PRINCIPLES

  1. Voluntary membership open to all
  2. Democratic power exercised by members
  3. Economic participation of members, a social share
  4. Autonomy and independence, does not live on government subsidies
  5. Education, training and information, for the members of our community
  6. Inter cooperation, building strong links with Workers Unions and other Coops
  7. Commitment to the community, reinvesting in our neighborhoods
  8. Sustainable development

OUR INSPIRATIONS

Mondragon

50 Year old, employee owned enterprise, 10,000 members strong, generating 50 Billion dollars annually. Located in the town of Mondragon in the Basque region of Spain, they own banks, universities, cutting edge manufacturing plants and grocery stores that are all employee owned, interconnected and span the world.

Co-ops and Mondragon — Thom Hartmann interviews Richard Wolff (10mins)

Emilia Romagna

The citizens have succeeded in building a powerful, autonomous cooperative economy alongside an advanced capitalist economy. The Emilian Model also demonstrates how cooperation supports the success of small firms and enables them to successfully compete at the highest levels in the global marketplace.

The Emilia Romagna Cooperatives in Italy (1hour)

Evergreen Cooperative

The Evergreen model demonstrates how anchor-institutions like hospitals and universities can help worker cooperatives create green jobs in the neighborhoods that need them most. Learn more about the Cleveland Model at Community-Wealth.org:
community-wealth.org/cleveland 

The Cleveland Model: How the Evergreen Cooperatives Build Community Wealth

OUR BLUEPRINT

  1. We are a worker owned Cooperative Corporation

  2. Be accountable: The wins are ours the loses hold our lessons (No Blame Culture)

  3. We are an asset to the community/world which sustains us

  4. We chart our own path

  5. We don’t get stagnant

  6. Strive for efficiency (Simplicity is the Ultimate Sophistication – Leonardo Da Vinci)

  7. Stand up for yourself and others

  8. Learning is fundamental – Be a Sponge

  9. Trust others – Collaboration is what drives us

  10. Have fun, have fun, ha-ha have fun!!