This week, members of three UK care co-ops discuss what led them to the creation of care co-ops in their localities, and how they have created models that prioritize the needs and wants of the clients, while providing services for a lower price point than the non-cooperative alternatives. Each of the co-ops uses a multi-stakeholder model that involves workers, clients, and community supporters.
Then, a team of researchers writes about the important role that solidarity finance - in the form of community-directed loan funds - has played in Ecuador, and report on the results of a survey they conducted of 51 such funds to determine the strengths and weaknesses in their operations.
Learning from Care Co-ops
by Co-operative Futures
The Oxfordshire Care Co-op Pilot, led by Co-operative Futures aims to understand and test how co-operative and co-produced models and approaches can fill gaps in the current market, and solve challenges in the Adult Social Care sector in Oxfordshire, and create more ownership and voice for both care workers and care users.Â
The Role of Solidarity Finance in Sustainable Local Development in Ecuador
by Pablo DĂĄvila Pinto, Sigfredo Ortuño-PĂ©rez, Diego Mantilla GarcĂ©s & VĂctor Albuja Centeno
This study explores the role of solidarity finance in promoting local development and the empowerment of marginalized communities through financial inclusion and access to community credits. It focuses on how solidarity-based financial mechanisms provide accessible credit with fewer barriers, fostering productive activities and economic resilience.
Connecting Worker Co-ops Through Preferred Shares
by Josh Davis
This blog will make the case that it would be beneficial for worker co-ops in the US to both issue preferred shares and purchase them from other co-ops. This practice would lead to a type of profit-sharing between worker co-ops across industries and geography, as well as provide an additional source of startup and expansion capital. This practice could also lead to useful networking and connections among worker-owners, serving as a sort of informal technical assistance network.
Rainbow Grocery, S.F.âs iconic worker-owned co-op, turns 50
Mission Local â In a city shaped by constant reinvention, Rainbow Grocery Cooperative stands as a rare constant. It has not only survived but thrived with its radical, worker-owned model intact. As it approaches its 50th anniversary, the co-op is planning a public block party Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025, from noon to 6 p.m...
Why Aren't Farm Cooperatives More Ambitious?
Headwaters â As the issues outlined above became apparent, groups have sprung up across the country attempting to innovate on the cooperative model. One of these efforts took the form of the New Generation Cooperative (NGC), which evolved the cooperative model in a number of key ways. Spurred on by low commodity prices during the Farm Crisis, NGCs worked to establish enterprises higher up on the value chain, including meatpacking, sugar refining, pasta manufacturing, and even ethanol production. By establishing farmer ownership over these enterprises, they could capture additional revenue that is normally appropriated by other players in the market...
Olympia declares 2025 the Year of Cooperatives
The Jolt â The Olympia City Council unanimously proclaimed 2025 as the Year of Cooperatives, recognizing the vital role cooperatives play in fostering a resilient and inclusive local economy...
Hospicing Modernity
Population Balance â Vanessa de Oliveira Andreotti, author of Hospicing Modernity, joins us. Highlights include: ...Why we need to âhospice modernityâ both within and around us, without feeling overwhelmed or rushing for quick fixes, while making space for something much larger to emerge...
UFCW, RWDSU, and REI Co-op Reach Agreement
UFCW â âWe want whatâs best for all REI workers, our customers, and the co-op,â said the REI union bargaining committee. âThis agreement is a tremendous step forward in negotiating a first contract, and we look forward to continuing to bargain with REI.â...As part of the agreement, REI will provide wage increases and bonuses for the years 2022-2024 that workers at represented stores did not previously receive. Additionally, Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) charges filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) against the co-op were dropped.Â
Â
Like what you find on GEO?
Make a Donation Today!
Your tax-deductible contribution ensures that GEO can continue to provide independent grassroots content about the cooperative and solidarity economy movements.
Got something to say?
Let us know. Send your comments, suggestions, rants and article submissions to editors@geo.coop.
Follow us on Social Media
Mastodon: social.coop/@GEO_Collective
BlueSky: @geocollective.bsky.social
FB: facebook.com/GEOCollective
Instagram: instagram.com/grassrootsecon
Â
Our mailing address is:
Grassroots Economic Organizing
P.O. Box 115
Riverdale MD 20738-0115
