By Hazel Corcoran CWCF is thrilled to be launching our Worker Co-op Academy this month, with three groups participating. Although the types of fledgling worker co-ops vary, the collective entrepreneurs behind them share a common enthusiasm and commitment that will serve them well during this program. We look forward to working with them as they … Report from the Executive Director, June 2021
The $1000 grant for a youth-based arts and culture project was awarded to the Social Justice Co-operative of Newfoundland, a group committed to raising the profile of co-operative approaches to economic and social development in Newfoundland and Labrador. With the support of the grant, SJCNL commissioned local freelance artist Molly Margaret (age 25) to create … 2020 Arts and Culture Grant Project
Adopted in 1995, the seventh co-op principle, concern for community, may be the most recent addition to the list, but in some ways it is the foundation on which the other six principles are built. England’s Rochdale Pioneers, originators of the modern principles, may not have explicitly included concern for community in their list, but … Concern for Community Last But Far From Least Among Co-op Principles —By Kenzie Love
By Kenzie Love (updated May 19, 2022) Starting any business is challenging, and co-ops are no different. As veteran co-op developer Russ Christianson observes: “Like any good business, a co-op requires an excellent business plan, sufficient start-up capital, and the tenacity of its founders. Typically, there will be long hours, many meetings, and low pay … Apply Now to the Worker Co-op Academy
By Kenzie Love What is the Green New Deal? The Green New Deal is a comprehensive, multifaceted approach that seeks to address not just the climate crisis but the related injustices that spawned it. Originating in the US and the UK, the idea has spread around the world, and although the particulars of the … Worker Co-ops Can Play a Central Role in the Green New Deal
By Hazel Corcoran Spring is in the air across the country and fittingly for a time associated with new projects, CWCF has plenty on the horizon. Twenty-six people gathered on Zoom for our recent workshop on Building Racial Justice in the Worker Co-op Movement in Canada. The JEDDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, Decolonization, and Inclusion) Committee … Executive Director’s Report, April 2021
By Kenzie Love In 1844, the Rochdale Pioneers founded what would become the basis of the modern co-op movement in a small town in the north of England. In the almost 180 years since, the movement has spread and diversified, but remains united by the seven principles, adapted from those which the pioneers developed. That … Should Co-ops Adopt an Eighth Principle – on DEI?
CWCF is pleased to welcome Sandra Allen of Shift Delivery Co-op as its director for the BC/Yukon region. Sandra replaces Jessica Valentine, whom she’d been assisting with her director’s duties since 2019. A member of Shift Delivery for the past two years, and one of its board members for the past year and a half, … Board Member Profile: Sandra Allen
The Canadian Worker Co-op Federation (CWCF) offers grants to assist worker co-ops that are, or agree to become, members of CWCF to hire a co-op developer or other professional to help with a challenge that the co-op is facing. Assistance can be sought in any area needed such as marketing, financial administration, governance, conflict resolution, … Worker Co-ops Benefit From Technical Assistance Grants
By Kenzie Love CWCF introduced our member profile series in 2019 with the goal of highlighting our members’ successes and challenges. The members profiled so far have shown the full spectrum of diversity on display in Canada’s worker co-op sector, and this wide variety of co-ops is something worth celebrating. But despite their differences, worker … Worker Co-ops Offer Advice on Surviving Common Struggles