Speakers

About the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives

The US Federation of Worker Cooperatives (www.usworker.coop) is a national grassroots membership organization of worker cooperatives and democratic workplaces. The mission of the United States Federation of Worker Cooperatives is to create stable and empowering jobs and worker-ownership through the development of a thriving cooperative movement. We advance worker-owned, -managed, and -governed workplaces through cooperative education, advocacy and development. We envision a democratic society in which workers are in control of the management, governance and ownership of their places of work.

Founded in 2004, after over a decade of local and regional organizing, the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives is comprised of over 60 workplace members. Our members are worker cooperatives and democratic workplaces from around the country and a broad variety of sectors, from manufacturing and engineering to housecleaning, from bike shops and grocery stores to high-tech services and industrial bakeries. Federation members are also well-recognized cooperative development organizations in the country, from WAGES to the Arizmendi Association of Cooperatives, to the Cooperative Development Institute, as well as local and regional federations of worker cooperatives.

The US Federation is a member of the National Cooperative Business Association (www.ncba.coop), the umbrella organization for all cooperatives in the United States. It is also a member of CICOPA (www.cicopa.coop), the worker cooperative body of the International Cooperative Alliance.

Economic Impact

For the year 2008, our members’ economic impact is represented below:

• Total Gross Revenues: $181,285,596
• Total Number of Paid Workers: 1371
• Total Gross Compensation: $49, 817,858