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Catalyzing worker co-ops & the solidarity economy

Oakland City Council Looks to Provide Support for Worker Cooperatives

The Oakland City Council is considering a resolution to support an unconventional business model that some say can help fight income inequality in the East Bay. The resolution, which the council will review at its September 8 meeting, is aimed at encouraging the development of worker cooperatives, which are businesses that are owned and governed by employees, meaning workers share profits and tend to make above-average wages.

The Sustainable Economies Law Center (SELC), an Oakland-based nonprofit that worked with Councilmember Annie Campbell Washington on the resolution, said the measure is largely symbolic but hopes it will be a precursor to the passage of more concrete reforms that would incentivize the growth of these businesses in the city.

The resolution directs the city's Business Assistance Center to offer improved services to cooperatives. Under the resolution, the center would "provide tailored resources created by community organizations and make referrals to technical assistance providers for individuals seeking to launch new worker cooperatives or convert conventional businesses to worker ownership."

Read the full article at East Bay Express

 

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