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.<br>
<br>
Joe Rinehart<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">---------- Forwarded message ----------<br>From: <b class="gmail_sendername">Tim Huet</b> <span dir="ltr">&lt;<a href="mailto:easytospell@sbcglobal.net">easytospell@sbcglobal.net</a>&gt;</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: &quot;Workercoop@Yahoogroups.Com&quot; &lt;<a href="mailto:workercoop@yahoogroups.com">workercoop@yahoogroups.com</a>&gt;<br>

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</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 &amp; Sense still has posted in their archives 
an article I wrote for their November/December 1997 issue entitled &quot;Can 
Coops Go Global?&quot; (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&#39;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&#39;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 class="h5">
<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 &lt;<a href="mailto:tyleasimone%40gmail.com" target="_blank">tyleasimone@gmail.com</a>&gt;:<br><br>&gt; 
  Hi Joe!<br>&gt;<br>&gt; Thanks for sending out this article about Mondragon. 
  As a community of<br>&gt; people committed to worker ownership, I think we 
  need to have more honest<br>&gt; discussions about the &quot;underbelly&quot; of this 
  movement. This will help us<br>&gt; identify the issues and thus be more 
  prepared to address and/or avoid them.<br>&gt; Keeping this type of dialogue 
  under wraps doesn&#39;t help the movement.<br>&gt;<br>&gt; Another report of 
  &quot;coops&quot; with serious labor concerns:<br>&gt;<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>

&gt; 
  And unfortunately, using the cooperative name and model to hide 
  exploitation<br>&gt; is not isolated.<br>&gt;<br>&gt; Perhaps this is a topic 
  that could be explored at one of the upcoming<br>&gt; 
  conferences/convenings.<br>&gt;<br>&gt; Best,<br>&gt; Tylea<br>&gt;<br>&gt; On 
  Sun, Feb 6, 2011 at 9:04 PM, Joe Rinehart &lt;<a href="mailto:ashevillejoe%40gmail.com" target="_blank">ashevillejoe@gmail.com</a>&gt; 
  wrote:<br>&gt;<br>&gt; &gt;<br>&gt; &gt;<br>&gt; &gt; Haven&#39;t seen this posted 
  to this list yet. It&#39;s sad/depressing/a<br>&gt; &gt; cautionary tale/worth 
  considering in light of Mondragons partnership with<br>&gt; &gt; the USW and 
  the high regard which we all hold their model of organizing.<br>&gt; 
  &gt;<br>&gt; &gt;<br>&gt; &gt; Joe Rinehart<br>&gt; &gt; Firestorm Cafe and 
  Books<br>&gt; &gt; 48 Commerce Street<br>&gt; &gt; Asheville, N.C.<br>&gt; 
  &gt; Cafe: <a href="tel:+18282558115" target="_blank">828.255.8115</a> &lt;+18282558115&gt;<br>&gt; &gt; Cell: <a href="tel:+18283334162" target="_blank">828.333.4162</a> 
  &lt;+18283334162&gt;<br>&gt; &gt;<br>&gt; &gt; ---------- Forwarded message 
  ----------<br>&gt; &gt; From: Michel Bauwens &lt;<a href="mailto:michelsub2004%40gmail.com" target="_blank">michelsub2004@gmail.com</a>&gt;<br>&gt; 
  &gt; Date: Sun, Feb 6, 2011 at 7:05 PM<br>&gt; &gt; Subject: [P2P-F] mondragon 
  exploits workers, polish strike<br>&gt; &gt; To: p2p-foundation &lt;<a href="mailto:p2p-foundation%40lists.ourproject.org" target="_blank">p2p-foundation@lists.ourproject.org</a>&gt;<br>&gt; 
  &gt; Cc: Nicholas Roberts &lt;<a href="mailto:niccolo.roberts%40gmail.com" target="_blank">niccolo.roberts@gmail.com</a>&gt;<br>&gt; 
  &gt;<br>&gt; &gt;<br>&gt; &gt;<br>&gt; &gt;<br>&gt; <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>

&gt; 
  &gt;<br>&gt; &gt; Nicholas, Kevin, or others, a commentary for publication in 
  the p2p blog<br>&gt; &gt; would be appreciated,<br>&gt; &gt;<br>&gt; &gt; 
  Michel<br>&gt; &gt;<br>&gt; &gt; --<br>&gt; &gt; 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>

&gt; 
  &gt;<br>&gt; &gt; Connect: <a href="http://p2pfoundation.ning.com;" target="_blank">http://p2pfoundation.ning.com;</a> 
  Discuss:<br>&gt; &gt; <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>&gt; 
  &gt;<br>&gt; &gt; 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>&gt; 
  &gt; <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>&gt; 
  &gt;<br>&gt; &gt;<br>&gt; &gt;<br>&gt; &gt;<br>&gt; &gt;<br>&gt; &gt;<br>&gt; 
  &gt;<br>&gt; &gt; _______________________________________________<br>&gt; &gt; 
  P2P Foundation - Mailing list<br>&gt; &gt; <a href="http://www.p2pfoundation.net" target="_blank">http://www.p2pfoundation.net</a><br>&gt; 
  &gt; <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>&gt; 
  &gt;<br>&gt; &gt;<br>&gt; &gt;<br>&gt; &gt;<br>&gt;<br><br></p></div>
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