<p>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.</p>
<p>Joe Rinehart</p>
<div class="gmail_quote">---------- Forwarded message ----------<br>From: <b class="gmail_sendername">Tim Huet</b> <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:easytospell@sbcglobal.net" target="_blank">easytospell@sbcglobal.net</a>></span><br>
Date: Thu, Feb 10, 2011 at 5:35 AM<br>Subject: Re: [workercoop] Fwd: [P2P-F] mondragon exploits workers, polish strike<br>To: "Workercoop@Yahoogroups.Com" <<a href="mailto:workercoop@yahoogroups.com" target="_blank">workercoop@yahoogroups.com</a>><br>
<br><br>
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<p>
</p><div><font face="Arial" size="2">Hi, Jim (and others)--</font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2"></font> </div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2">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): <a href="http://www.dollarsandsense.org/archives/1997/1197huet.html" target="_blank">http://www.dollarsandsense.org/archives/1997/1197huet.html</a>.
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. </font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2"></font> </div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2">Solidarity,</font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2"></font> </div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2">Tim Huet</font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2">Arizmendi Association of Cooperatives</font></div><div><div></div><div>
<blockquote style="border-left:2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0)">
<div style="font:10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </div>
<div style="background:none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(228, 228, 228);font:10pt arial"><b>From:</b>
<a title="jdj@TruthOverComfort.com" href="mailto:jdj@TruthOverComfort.com" target="_blank">jdj@TruthOverComfort.com</a> </div>
<div style="font:10pt arial"><b>To:</b> <a title="workercoop@yahoogroups.com" href="mailto:workercoop@yahoogroups.com" target="_blank">workercoop@yahoogroups.com</a> </div>
<div style="font:10pt arial"><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, February 08, 2011 6:49
PM</div>
<div style="font:10pt arial"><b>Subject:</b> Re: [workercoop] Fwd: [P2P-F]
mondragon exploits workers, polish strike</div>
<div><br></div><span> </span>
<div>
<p>Can anyone provide any more context, follow-up, or other info on the
Mondragon<br>article that Joe is citing? All I can find is numerous
re-postings of a single<br>article from July 2008, originating at<br><a href="http://zsp.net.pl/fagormastercook_workcamp" target="_blank">http://zsp.net.pl/fagormastercook_workcamp</a>
...this site also has no follow-up<br>or additional info that I can
find....<br><br>It would be great to have some additional perspectives, do
some rumor control,<br>etc., before jumping to
conclusions...<br><br>Thanks,<br>Jim Johnson<br><br>Quoting tylea <<a href="mailto:tyleasimone%40gmail.com" target="_blank">tyleasimone@gmail.com</a>>:<br><br>>
Hi Joe!<br>><br>> Thanks for sending out this article about Mondragon.
As a community of<br>> people committed to worker ownership, I think we
need to have more honest<br>> discussions about the "underbelly" of this
movement. This will help us<br>> identify the issues and thus be more
prepared to address and/or avoid them.<br>> Keeping this type of dialogue
under wraps doesn't help the movement.<br>><br>> Another report of
"coops" with serious labor concerns:<br>><br><a href="http://www.laborrights.org/end-violence-against-trade-unions/what-is-a-labor-cooperative." target="_blank">http://www.laborrights.org/end-violence-against-trade-unions/what-is-a-labor-cooperative.</a><br>
>
And unfortunately, using the cooperative name and model to hide
exploitation<br>> is not isolated.<br>><br>> Perhaps this is a topic
that could be explored at one of the upcoming<br>>
conferences/convenings.<br>><br>> Best,<br>> Tylea<br>><br>> On
Sun, Feb 6, 2011 at 9:04 PM, Joe Rinehart <<a href="mailto:ashevillejoe%40gmail.com" target="_blank">ashevillejoe@gmail.com</a>>
wrote:<br>><br>> ><br>> ><br>> > Haven't seen this posted
to this list yet. It's sad/depressing/a<br>> > cautionary tale/worth
considering in light of Mondragons partnership with<br>> > the USW and
the high regard which we all hold their model of organizing.<br>>
><br>> ><br>> > Joe Rinehart<br>> > Firestorm Cafe and
Books<br>> > 48 Commerce Street<br>> > Asheville, N.C.<br>>
> Cafe: <a href="tel:+18282558115" target="_blank"><a href="tel:+18282558115" target="_blank">828.255.8115</a></a> <+18282558115><br>> > Cell: <a href="tel:+18283334162" target="_blank"><a href="tel:+18283334162" target="_blank">828.333.4162</a></a>
<+18283334162><br>> ><br>> > ---------- Forwarded message
----------<br>> > From: Michel Bauwens <<a href="mailto:michelsub2004%40gmail.com" target="_blank">michelsub2004@gmail.com</a>><br>>
> Date: Sun, Feb 6, 2011 at 7:05 PM<br>> > Subject: [P2P-F] mondragon
exploits workers, polish strike<br>> > To: p2p-foundation <<a href="mailto:p2p-foundation%40lists.ourproject.org" target="_blank">p2p-foundation@lists.ourproject.org</a>><br>>
> Cc: Nicholas Roberts <<a href="mailto:niccolo.roberts%40gmail.com" target="_blank">niccolo.roberts@gmail.com</a>><br>>
><br>> ><br>> ><br>> ><br>> <a href="http://trustcurrency.blogspot.com/2011/01/mondragon-cooperative-built-on.html" target="_blank">http://trustcurrency.blogspot.com/2011/01/mondragon-cooperative-built-on.html</a><br>
>
><br>> > Nicholas, Kevin, or others, a commentary for publication in
the p2p blog<br>> > would be appreciated,<br>> ><br>> >
Michel<br>> ><br>> > --<br>> > P2P Foundation: <a href="http://p2pfoundation.net" target="_blank">http://p2pfoundation.net</a> - <a href="http://blog.p2pfoundation.net" target="_blank">http://blog.p2pfoundation.net</a><br>
>
><br>> > Connect: <a href="http://p2pfoundation.ning.com;" target="_blank">http://p2pfoundation.ning.com;</a>
Discuss:<br>> > <a href="http://lists.ourproject.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/p2p-foundation" target="_blank">http://lists.ourproject.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/p2p-foundation</a><br>>
><br>> > Updates: <a href="http://del.icio.us/mbauwens;" target="_blank">http://del.icio.us/mbauwens;</a> <a href="http://friendfeed.com/mbauwens;" target="_blank">http://friendfeed.com/mbauwens;</a><br>>
> <a href="http://twitter.com/mbauwens;" target="_blank">http://twitter.com/mbauwens;</a>
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens" target="_blank">http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens</a><br>>
><br>> ><br>> ><br>> ><br>> ><br>> ><br>>
><br>> > _______________________________________________<br>> >
P2P Foundation - Mailing list<br>> > <a href="http://www.p2pfoundation.net" target="_blank">http://www.p2pfoundation.net</a><br>>
> <a href="https://lists.ourproject.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/p2p-foundation" target="_blank">https://lists.ourproject.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/p2p-foundation</a><br>>
><br>> ><br>> ><br>> ><br>><br><br></p></div>
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