In the early 1990s, two women, a social worker and a housecleaning co-op manager, shared a vision to expand opportunity for low-income women through the transformative nature of cooperative businesses. They founded a nonprofit with a mission embedded in its name - Women's Action to Gain Economic Security (WAGES). Since its inception in 1995, WAGES has carried out this mission by creating worker-owned cooperatives for Latina immigrant women. WAGES has launched 5 housecleaning co-ops that use environmentally friendly cleaning techniques to protect worker health and the environment while building stable, lucrative businesses.
The first co-op WAGES helped develop, Emma’s Eco-Clean, has generated sales of over $6 million since its formation in 1999. Located in Redwood City, Emma's provides its 30 current member-owners with average wages of $15/hour plus health, dental, and vacation benefits – benefits that are almost unheard of in the housecleaning industry.
Eco-Care Professional Housecleaning, the next coop WAGES established, now has 15 member-owners who earn $13/hour, plus a limited benefits package. Based out of Morgan Hill, Eco-Care has generated over $2.5 million in sales since the co-op was formed in 2001. The substantial earnings that Emma’s and Eco-Care provide for their member-owners are 150% to 200% above prevailing wages in the commercial housecleaning industry. Both of these businesses are now financially independent of WAGES and 100% owned by their workers.
In September 2003, WAGES launched the Oakland-based Natural Home Cleaning Professionals (NHC), with eight member-owners. This co-op built on lessons learned and integrated a “representative democracy” structure. With sales growing rapidly, NHC now has a standing membership of 36 worker-owners. Most importantly, NHC members are now earning nearly $14/hour, far exceeding the $7/hour average starting wage for commercial cleaners in Alameda County. NHC has been certified by Alameda County as a “green business,” and the co-op has developed its own brand of marketing materials including a client brochure, website, and their client newsletter, Natural Home Cleaning Noticias. Our most successful co-op to date, NHC generated sales upwards of $1.3 million in 2010 alone.
In February 2009, WAGES launched its first co-op enterprise in San Francisco, Home Green Home, teaming up with natural products company Seventh Generation and creating a sustainability partnership between the organizations. Although the co-op is still in incubation, its sales are steadily increasing, its membership has reached 10 worker-owners, and it is slated to leave the incubation period in June of 2012.
Our newest start-up, Natural Home Cleaning Contra Costa, celebrated its grand opening in August 2011, extending the reach of WAGES’ economic development model into Central Contra Costa County and beyond. This latest venture brings WAGES’ social enterprises to 5 worker-owned, woman-owned co-ops serving communities throughout the greater Bay Area.