A few interesting notes from the U.S. worker owned cooperative discussion on the Mondragon article posted here.  Perhaps what is most worth remembering is that cooperatives exist in a structure (global neoliberalism) that can pressure them to act against their cooperative values in order to preserve their basic function (the provision of jobs) but it is nice to see that Mondragon has taken international critic seriously.

Joe Rinehart

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Tim Huet <easytospell@sbcglobal.net>
Date: Thu, Feb 10, 2011 at 5:35 AM
Subject: Re: [workercoop] Fwd: [P2P-F] mondragon exploits workers, polish strike
To: "Workercoop@Yahoogroups.Com" <workercoop@yahoogroups.com>


 

Hi, Jim (and others)--
 
Regarding the request for context, the details are a bit stale but Dollars & Sense still has posted in their archives an article I wrote for their November/December 1997 issue entitled "Can Coops Go Global?" (their title/question rather than mine incidentally):  http://www.dollarsandsense.org/archives/1997/1197huet.html.  I think my perspective then as well as now can be summarized as concerned/questioning but also sympathetic, given the situation in which the Mondragon cooperatives suddenly found themselves in (after rapid dismantlement of trade barriers, in direct competition with capitalist multinationals magnitudes larger than Mondragon).  My biggest concern/question back then was about MCC undertaking overseas developments with merely a stated intention to eventually convert them cooperatives, an intention not backed with any planning or research.  I'm happy to say that Mondragon in recent years has undertaken research to devise a substantive plan for converting their international enterprises.  Just last month, here in the Bay Area, the National Center for Employee Ownership, WAGES, and the Arizmendi Association of Cooperatives received visitors from Mondragon University researching international conversion question/options (we also hosted Mondragon researchers two years ago).  (In the U.S., Mondragon folks tend to focus research on ESOPs rather than worker cooperatives due to questions of scale and how to transfer ownership over time; MCC has understandable concerns about just handing over factories upon which they've spent millions and upon which their established cooperatives/jobs depend).  Though the work/research might not be progressing as quickly as some of us might wish, I wanted to note that the Mondragon folks are working on addressing/overcoming the cooperative compromises involved in their international network. 
 
Solidarity,
 
Tim Huet
Arizmendi Association of Cooperatives
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, February 08, 2011 6:49 PM
Subject: Re: [workercoop] Fwd: [P2P-F] mondragon exploits workers, polish strike

 

Can anyone provide any more context, follow-up, or other info on the Mondragon
article that Joe is citing? All I can find is numerous re-postings of a single
article from July 2008, originating at
http://zsp.net.pl/fagormastercook_workcamp ...this site also has no follow-up
or additional info that I can find....

It would be great to have some additional perspectives, do some rumor control,
etc., before jumping to conclusions...

Thanks,
Jim Johnson

Quoting tylea <tyleasimone@gmail.com>:

> Hi Joe!
>
> Thanks for sending out this article about Mondragon. As a community of
> people committed to worker ownership, I think we need to have more honest
> discussions about the "underbelly" of this movement. This will help us
> identify the issues and thus be more prepared to address and/or avoid them.
> Keeping this type of dialogue under wraps doesn't help the movement.
>
> Another report of "coops" with serious labor concerns:
>
http://www.laborrights.org/end-violence-against-trade-unions/what-is-a-labor-cooperative.
> And unfortunately, using the cooperative name and model to hide exploitation
> is not isolated.
>
> Perhaps this is a topic that could be explored at one of the upcoming
> conferences/convenings.
>
> Best,
> Tylea
>
> On Sun, Feb 6, 2011 at 9:04 PM, Joe Rinehart <ashevillejoe@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> >
> >
> > Haven't seen this posted to this list yet. It's sad/depressing/a
> > cautionary tale/worth considering in light of Mondragons partnership with
> > the USW and the high regard which we all hold their model of organizing.
> >
> >
> > Joe Rinehart
> > Firestorm Cafe and Books
> > 48 Commerce Street
> > Asheville, N.C.
> > Cafe: 828.255.8115 <+18282558115>
> > Cell: 828.333.4162 <+18283334162>
> >
> > ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> > From: Michel Bauwens <michelsub2004@gmail.com>
> > Date: Sun, Feb 6, 2011 at 7:05 PM
> > Subject: [P2P-F] mondragon exploits workers, polish strike
> > To: p2p-foundation <p2p-foundation@lists.ourproject.org>
> > Cc: Nicholas Roberts <niccolo.roberts@gmail.com>
> >
> >
> >
> >
> http://trustcurrency.blogspot.com/2011/01/mondragon-cooperative-built-on.html
> >
> > Nicholas, Kevin, or others, a commentary for publication in the p2p blog
> > would be appreciated,
> >
> > Michel
> >
> > --
> > P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - http://blog.p2pfoundation.net
> >
> > Connect: http://p2pfoundation.ning.com; Discuss:
> > http://lists.ourproject.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/p2p-foundation
> >
> > Updates: http://del.icio.us/mbauwens; http://friendfeed.com/mbauwens;
> > http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > P2P Foundation - Mailing list
> > http://www.p2pfoundation.net
> > https://lists.ourproject.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/p2p-foundation
> >
> >
> >
> >
>

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