[P2P-F] Fwd: [workercoop] Fwd: mondragon exploits workers, polish strike

Thu Feb 10 15:18:02 CET 2011

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 at sbcglobal.net>
Date: Thu, Feb 10, 2011 at 5:35 AM
Subject: Re: [workercoop] Fwd: [P2P-F] mondragon exploits workers, polish
strike
To: "Workercoop at Yahoogroups.Com" <workercoop at 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 -----
*From:* jdj at TruthOverComfort.com
*To:* workercoop at yahoogroups.com
*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 at 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 at 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> <+18282558115>
> > Cell: 828.333.4162 <+18283334162> <+18283334162>
> >
> > ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> > From: Michel Bauwens <michelsub2004 at gmail.com>
> > Date: Sun, Feb 6, 2011 at 7:05 PM
> > Subject: [P2P-F] mondragon exploits workers, polish strike
> > To: p2p-foundation <p2p-foundation at lists.ourproject.org>
> > Cc: Nicholas Roberts <niccolo.roberts at 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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