Title 1: Cooperatives and Unions: Building an Economy of Trust, Equity, and Empowerment Title 2: Co-Operating the Labor Movement: How Cooperatives can amplify worker solidarity

Introduction (30 minutes)

• Meet and greet activity
• Brief overview of the workshop's objectives

Current challenges faced by workers (15 minutes)

• Income inequality
• Job security
• Erosion of labor rights
• Impact of technology on labor
• Urgency of addressing these issues

Co-op 101 (20 min)

• Brief history of cooperatives and their relationship to labor unions
• Differences between cooperatives and traditional business structures (corporations, LLCs, etc.)
• Types of cooperatives (worker, consumer, purchasing/shared services, multi-stakeholder)

History and growth of cooperatives (15 minutes)

• Early origins (Rochdale pioneers)
• W.E.B. DuBois and black workers
• 20th century developments
• Current state of cooperatives

Cooperative Principles, Values, and Benefits (15 min) - Interactive

• The 7 cooperative principles and how they align with union values
• Cooperative values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity, and solidarity
• Key principles of cooperatives (open membership, equal voting rights, returns based on use, continuous education, concern for the community)

Intersections between cooperatives and labor unions (20 minutes) - Interactive

Benefits of cooperatives for workers and unions:

• Democratic ownership and control
• Potential for better wages, benefits, and working conditions
• Tool for economic democracy and community development
• Shared origins of worker cooperatives and unions
• Complementary strengths
• Successful examples of collaboration
• Overcoming challenges and limitations
• Cooperatives as tools for union workers in the face of anti-unionization efforts
• Starting A Coop

Interactive Session: The Coop Canvas Model (30-40 minutes)

• Introduce the Cooperative Model Canvas as a tool for planning and structuring a cooperative business
• Walk through each section of the canvas, explaining its purpose and providing examples:

Conclusion and next steps (5-10 minutes)

• Recap of key points
• Encouragement for participants to explore cooperative models further
• Sharing of additional resources

In the workshop, it would be valuable to emphasize that forming a cooperative is not an alternative to union membership but rather a complementary strategy for workers to gain greater control over their labor, build wealth, and create positive change in their industries and communities.

Participants to reflect on how a cooperative structure could amplify the benefits they already derive from their union membership, such as:

• Combining the collective bargaining power of unions with the ownership and control of cooperatives.
• Leveraging union networks and resources to support the formation and growth of worker-owned cooperatives.
• Exploring how cooperatives can create new opportunities for union members, such as work during off-seasons or in emerging markets.

Cooperative Model Canvas