New and Noteworthy

Worker cooperatives are an emerging strategy to develop local economies and grassroots leadership. However, the field is fraught with many misconceptions. Our "myths" blog series gets beyond assumptions to address what it takes to succeed in co-op development.

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WAGES is now inviting applicants for The Co-op Readiness Institute, a two-day training event in Oakland, California that will equip participants with tools to assess their readiness to start a...

As WAGES approaches our 20^th anniversary, we have been reflecting on our history and we realized that we have gone through five distinct phases since our earliest days. Our first phase was the Formation Phase, which is the story of our establishment as an organization. This was followed by the Pilot Phase, the Eco-Friendly Cleaning Niche Phase, the Expansion Phase, and finally the Renewal Phase, where we are now. Read on to learn more about the five phases and see what we have learned and...

We are honored and excited to have been featured in the press on two separate occasions in recent weeks!

YES! Magazine’s recent article, “These Women-Run Co-ops Push Back Against the ‘Feminization of Poverty,’” by Sarah McKinley and Violeta Duncan, explains the “disproportionate representation of women in low-wage work” as context to support the growing...

WAGES’ 6^th co-op, which will produce and sell paletas, is getting closer to its launch every day. Jessica Morris, who is leading the project and heading business development, is working hard along with the rest of WAGES’ staff to iron out business details, prepare to initiate founding members, and begin making and selling delicious paletas! We are...

WAGES would like to help you brush up on your cooperative knowledge! These Cooperative 101 flashcards will catch you up to speed on your co-op knowledge, and provide context for the cooperative movement and field.

WAGES has incubated five worker-owned co-ops, which are co-ops owned and democratically governed by their employees.

Can you name the other four different kinds of co-ops?

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Dear Friends,

At WAGES, we believe we are in the midst of a renaissance of social movements that address income inequality and create real opportunities for advancement. We have witnessed a deep swell of interest in the worker co-op model as people all over the country increasingly see its value as a vehicle for economic stability, fairness, democratic practices, and civic participation.

We know that our current economy is not meeting the needs of anyone--least of all, the low-wage...

WAGES is continually encouraged by all of the flourishing co-ops in a growing movement of economic justice and solidarity. Today we share an inspiring example of the ever-growing cooperative movement.

Our friends at The Center for Family Life are working with community members of Sunset Park in Brooklyn, New York to launch a new worker cooperative, Trusty Amigos. The hard working...

Around the world, worker-owned co-ops are increasingly becoming recognized as a strategy to develop local economies, strengthen grassroots leadership and improve the lives of workers. In this series, we’ll take a closer look at the global co-op movement, and share this amazing progress with you!

In 2001, Argentina plunged into economic crisis. More than 60 percent of...

A snapshot of the state of the field

Developing worker-owned cooperatives in immigrant and other underserved communities is an emerging field that has the potential to transform our economy nationwide. Worker co-ops have lifted entire families above the poverty line, providing people with much needed avenues for advancement. Because of this powerful potential, the field of worker cooperatives is growing rapidly in the United States and around the world. With the proper resources at...

Worker cooperatives are an emerging strategy to develop local economies and grassroots leadership. However, the field is fraught with many misconceptions. Our "myths" blog series gets beyond assumptions to address what it takes to succeed in co-op development.

Myth #1: Worker co-ops are a quick fix for poverty.

Every month, we receive emails and phone calls from non-profits that go something like this: "We want to help a hard-to-employ group like recent...

This post is based on a talk by WAGES Field Building and Communications Manager Elena Fairley, from a webinar titled “Social Enterprise in Workforce Development: Outcomes and Experiences from the Field,” hosted by the Aspen Institute’s Workforce Strategies Initiative on April 9, 2014.

Co-op development is emerging in the U.S. as a wealth-building strategy in low-income communities and...

Claire Calderón, VISTA Cooperative Development Associate and supporting co-op facilitator describes the value of what women already bring to the table.

As a third grade assistant teacher, merely being an adult gave me all-mighty authority status. When a student misbehaved or failed to complete an assignment, I’d point to our posted list of classroom rules and raise my eyebrows. Although they’d usually groan as I passed out their times table worksheets, my students rarely questioned...