The Canadian Worker Co-op Federation (CWCF) is one of 46 member organizations of Co-operators. Having been invited to join Co-operators in 2007, CWCF and its members have benefited in many ways. CWCF and our members (as well as members of the Quebec Réseau COOP) have access to member- and co-op-specific insurance and financial services products of The Co-operators, specifically the Member Benefits Program and Co-op Guard.
To give you more detail about Co-operators, we share the following adapted excerpt from the “About Us” section of their website:
“Co-operators is a Canadian insurance and financial services co-operative, providing property and casualty (P&C) insurance, life insurance, and wealth management products. Their member organizations include co-operative organizations, credit union centrals and representative farm organizations. Their vision to be a catalyst for a sustainable society is reflected in their operations, including their community investment programs, which support people in need and help build community resiliency.”
CWCF participates in five regions of Co-operators (BC, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, and Atlantic), through two delegates (per region) appointed by CWCF’s Board. A delegate is a representative of CWCF who participates in two meetings annually within their region, and who takes a turn to participate in the AGM of The Co-operators. This participation not only contributes to the governance of The Co-operators but provides delegates with opportunities for networking and education. Being a member also allows CWCF to nominate board members to Co-operators, and we currently have two of our nominees on their board: Executive Director Hazel Corcoran, and Quebec Director Jessica Provencher. The annual Member Loyalty Payment (akin to a patronage dividend) as well as sponsorships of our Conferences and projects have contributed significantly to CWCF’s financial stability. Last but not least, their Co-operative Development Program (CDP) provided grants to support CWCF’s web site re-development and strategic planning process. The CDP as well as the Co-operators Community Funds have provided grants to several of our members and other worker co-ops over the years.
To learn more about their insurance and other services available to our members, see this link for a summary. The Co-op Guard program is focused on the insurance and financial services needs of co-operatives (business insurance, directors and officers liability, group benefits, and a group retirement program), while the Member Benefits Program provides value-added coverage and savings to individual members of co-ops, e.g., for home, auto, farm and travel insurance.
CWCF is greatly appreciative of this mutually beneficial relationship with Co-operators, and we encourage our members to use their insurance and other services whenever possible. We also wish to take this opportunity to thank the members of worker co-ops and the worker co-op developers who serve as volunteer delegates to The Co-operators on behalf of CWCF.