SCALING UP WORKER CO-OPERATIVES IN NORTH AMERICA – LEADERS FROM ITALY, SPAIN, FRANCE AND ARGENTINA WILL SHARE THEIR WORKER CO-OPERATIVE SUCCESS STORIES AT THE NORTH AMERICAN WORKER CO-OPERATIVE CONFERENCE, OCTOBER 13-15, 2011 IN QUEBEC CITY

September 22, 2011 - Italy, Spain and France lead the world in worker co-operatives, businesses that are owned and democratically controlled by the worker-members, on a one-member one-vote basis. These countries have shown that democratic and worker owned businesses are not only possible, but they can be extremely successful. In Argentina, the growing worker co-op / recovered factory movement has become well known through films such as The Take, which will be screened at the Conference, Women of Brukman, and Industría Argentina – to be released shortly.

Here in North America worker co-operatives exist, but have not reached the scale seen in Europe or Latin America.  The North American Worker Co-operative Conference, held from October 13-15, 2011 in beautiful and historic Quebec City will be a phenomenal opportunity for worker co-operators and those interested and in solidarity with democratically controlled businesses to learn how to scale up the worker co-operative sector here in North America.

Highlighted Speakers:

Alberto Zevi – President, Legacoop Education Centre

Legacoop is the largest worker co-operative federation in the world with over 14,500 worker co-operatives, employing 485,000 people in Italy. Worker co-operatives in the Emilia Romagna region of Italy alone generate about 30% of the GDP in the region and up to 60% of the GDP in some cities like Imola. Emilia Romagna is now among the most prosperous regions in the world. Legacoop’s Co-op Fund has a capitalization of $340 million and is used to finance new worker co-ops and to invest in expanding worker co-operatives.

Mikel Lezamiz - Educational Director, Mondragon

Mondragon Cooperatives Corporation, the world's largest consortium of worker-owned businesses is located in the Basque Country of Northern Spain. Mr. Lezamiz is one of the most knowledgeable sources on the history and current operations of Mondragon's 120 worker-owned businesses.

Patrick Lenancker – President, CG Scop (Worker Co-operative Federation of France)

There are over 40,000 worker co-operators in France. There are about 120 to 150 businesses that convert into a worker co-operative each year in France.

Jos̩ Orbaiceta РPresident, Federation of Worker Co-operatives of Argentina

The Declaration of First Principles of the Argentinean Federation concludes as follows:  “With our way, every day's work becomes a conscious act of fighting for a better life, to be able to build with other people a fairer society, where the cooperative principles of solidarity and mutuality take precedence over selfishness and individualism.”

In addition, the province of Quebec is home to over 10,000 people who work in worker co-operatives. This is over two-thirds of the total number of worker co-operators in all of Canada. Featured Quebec Worker Co-operatives and other programs:

CETAM – Unionized Ambulance Co-op

La Coopérative des techniciens ambulanciers de la Montérégie (CETAM) is worker-owned, unionized, and very successful: they provide 30 per cent of the province’s ambulance services, employ over 700 worker-members (plus hundreds of non-member staff), and have revenues over $50 million.

La Barberie

La Barberie is a worker co-operative microbrewery in Quebec City. Founded in 1995, La Barbarie has 12 employees and over 60 beer recipes.

Youth Worker Co-op (CJS) Program

The CJS Program is composed of many different youth-run co-ops, each with 12-15 high school students who start their own co-operative work to provide services within their community and throughout the summer. The co-operative introduces the democratic functioning of an association, organization of collective work, co-operative management and the workings of businesses. The services offered by the youth are very varied: security, interior and exterior maintenance, painting, grass cutting, etc.

With speakers from many different corners of the world and lots of opportunities to be inspired and to learn from each other, the North American Worker Co-operative Conference is an event not to be missed!

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For more information, please contact:

Hazel Corcoran, Executive Director, Canadian Worker Co-operative Federation (403) 276-8250

Website for the North American Worker Co-operative Conference:

http://www.cooperation2011.coop/13-14-15/en/a-propos.php