Worker Cooperatives

On this episode of Sprouts, the Upstream Podcast takes a deep dive into the worker cooperatives movement: a broad selection of organizations, activists, and cooperatively-structured workplaces that advocate for and embody workplace and economic democracy.

The 21st century has seen an explosion in worker cooperatives, particularly since capitalism’s 2008 crisis. In Part 1 of this 2-part series, we’ll explore how worker co-ops present a radically different kind of ownership and management structure”one that has the power to bring democracy into the workplace and into the economy as a whole. We’ll take a deep dive into the cooperatively owned and run bike/skate shop Rich City Rides, exploring how they have created a community hub that puts racial & economic justice front and center.

We’ll also take a trip to the Basque Country of northern Spain to explore how their rich cooperative environment compares to that of the United States and the San Francisco Bay Area specifically.

Featuring:

Richard Wolff – Economics professor emeritus at University of Massachusetts, Amherst, founder of Democracy at Work, and host of the weekly radio show Economic Update
Gopal Dayaneni – Co-founder of Cooperation Richmond & staff member at Movement Generation
Doria Robinson – Founder of Urban Tilth and co-founder of Cooperation Richmond
Esteban Kelly – Executive Director of the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives
Gorka Espiau – Senior Fellow at the Agirre Lehendakaria Center at the University of the Basque Country
Najari Smith – Worker/member of Rich City Rides bike & skate shop
Roxanne Villaluz – Worker/member of a cooperative bakery & pizzeria
Sofia Gradin – Political Organizer and Lecturer in Politics at King’s College in London

Music:

Jerry Folk
Antwon
The Roots of Orchis

Many thanks to Phil Wrigglesworth for the cover art.

Credits:

Della Duncan (Host, co-producer)
Robert Raymond (Engineer, co-producer)

Share This Episode