CWCF is pleased to welcome Jared Blustein, a member of The Allium Restaurant in Calgary, to its board as a Director-at-Large. Jared and the other members of The Allium, which operates both the restaurant and a marketplace to sell unused foodstuffs, strongly believe in allyship and support of other worker co-ops as a part of … Board Member Profile: Jared Blustein
By Hazel Corcoran As we enter the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, I hope that CWCF members and our other readers are doing okay or at least finding ways to cope with the challenges. With public health, economic, and other concerns, there is a lot to deal with. Having to be isolated from … Report from the Executive Director, February 2021
By Kenzie Love Although there’s no single accepted definition of “precarious employment”, it is perhaps most most commonly and succinctly defined as offering workers many of the responsibilities that come with being an employee with few or none of the benefits. That precarious employment has been on the upswing in recent years is well documented, … No Easy Answers to Problem of Precarious Employment
The Covid-19 pandemic has obviously made 2020 a challenging year on many fronts. But amidst the ongoing crisis, there is also a sense of opportunity, and the realization that the pandemic may have given us a rare chance to create a brighter future. While recognizing the enormous toll Covid has taken, now can also be … Covid-19 Pandemic Offers Chance for a Brighter Future —Kenzie Love
When Andrew Loveland started working for Planet Bean in Guelph, Ontario, three years ago, he didn’t know much about worker co-ops. But he had a passion for coffee and an interest in ensuring it was Fairtrade Certified. If those were the things that got him to join Planet Bean, however, it was the worker … Planet Bean Finds Success With New Model
CWCF is working actively with le Réseau COOP in Quebec to adapt their worker co-op training program to English Canada, and we expect to launch it in mid to late February. It’s called le Parcours COOP, loosely translated as “Co-op Journey.” This program offers entrepreneurs a framework for setting up their worker co-operative, with the … Parcours Program Update
In contrast to its American counterpart, which has seen considerable growth among BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of colour) communities in recent years, Canada’s worker co-op sector remains largely White, with little evidence that this is changing. Diversity and inclusion have been identified as priorities, but as Dr. Jessica Gordon-Nembhard argued in her recent presentation … Practical Steps Towards Dismantling Racism —Kenzie Love