Ask Prof Wolff: Strikes & Worker Co-ops

A Patron of Economic Update asks: "Under worker cooperatives are strikes necessary and do they happen?"

This is Professor Richard Wolff's video response.

_________________________________________________________________________

“Marxism always was the critical shadow of capitalism. Their interactions changed them both. Now Marxism is once again stepping into the light as capitalism shakes from its own excesses and confronts decline.”

_________________________________________________________________________
Follow Wolff ONLINE:

[tonyhooyer]

Reading about people grabbing multi-figures monthly as income in investments even in this crazy days in the market, any pointers on how to make substantial progress in earnings?would be appreciated..

[ladymorwendaebrethil-feani]

Strikes in private companies are good for co-ops because they increase costs for co-op competitors. Cooperatives are good for unions as they absorb labor, pay well and create pressure for wages to rise. If cooperatives and unions work together, they will be a more powerful organization than a political party, as these organizations will already prefigure a post-capitalist society in practice.

[NameName-lvlu]

I imagine in a society with many worker coops, some coops might get taken over by a small group of individuals like the way the US democracy is controlled by about 100k rich people.

In those cases workers might strike at the coop the way we see political strikes around the world in democracies.

[irvingclarendon]

If some worker co-ops are supposed to be the next thing to replace capitalist vs worker conflict who or what is going to put these worker co-ops together? Do you appreciate the type of legislation and bureaucratic institutions needed to support such à system? Prof Wolff you ought to know better than catering to the demand for some Pie In The Sky,

[lucastilou]

A change is necessary for the future to be sustainable. Co-op system seems to be that change we desperately need.

[clarestucki]

Worker co-ops are basically self-employed people.. What would be the point of striking against yourself? Idiotic question.

[kenrose]

All government funding of the corporate state(s) via taxation of the people, must be reclassified as corporate shares purchased on behalf of the People. Any dividends received from this concept must be directed toward healthcare, infrastructure development, education, used for the public good, and to offset taxation which would otherwise be used to fund the scam called "corporate welfare". By doing this, Socialism would become redundant because eventually the people would own their own corporate democracy. Please sir, address this concept...
Another concept would be to provide interest free, educational loans to students with a 80% scholastic average. How would the student loans be paid back. Just tax a small amount from each pay-check to repay the loan. This isn't rocket science...

[ReparationsForImperialism]

When workers in imperialist countries demand more, capitalist class dictators simply raise prices and crack the whip harder on their third-world plantations. The primary contradiction in the world today isn't between imperialist country workers and capitalists, but rather between imperialists and their allies (such as the "working/scanning stolen goods class" in imperialist countries who benefit from capitalism/imperialism and are virtually all in the top 15% of richest people in the world because of it), and non-imperialist countries.

[anonymoususer]

if everyone "buys in" to join a co-op, then what happens when you want to leave? is the share automatically bought back from the group so there's an equal balance again? what if at that time some people can't afford to buy the departing person(s) out? it needs to be done so everyone is equal owners again. so if you have no money, you can't join one. and poor people are typically the ones who want co-ops. in the end, if it's one person or a hundred people, someone's money is at stake. just doesn't sound like a good idea.

a lot of smaller private companies give out internal stock and I've worked for some that are very generous. yes, I'm not equal partner with the top bosses but it was a gift. maybe there's a good reason why you don't see many co-ops.

[TheDarkIllumination]

6:24 Professor, I think it would be wise to say "IF" worker co-ops replace capitalism. I have to agree with Jimmy Dore that America is past the point of no return and will become like Brazil.

[Senasis]

I want to know how to best prepare for the US dollar being dropped and collapsing. Will our debts be erased?? Should I invest in Chinese currency, or metals, or crypto? How would I get that currency, stash it, and use it after the dollar became useless?

[mjnyc]

How well would worker co-ops compete with conventionally run businesses?

[contextmatters]

So..
A question for the capitalist:
If workers aren't earning enough money or none at all, who's going to buy your product?
Just asking...

When Henry Ford asked why he paid his employees the wages he did, I assume was a decent wage, he said so they could afford to buy his cars..the consumer credit market, a mechanism NOT to increase wages but keep consumer spending without raising wages and charging consumers to do so, was almost non-existent at the time..

[itzenormous]

What kind of question is this? Would strikes take place in a worker co-op economy?
Who would they be striking in opposition to? Themselves?
This question perfectly portrays the infantile level of political and economic understanding, which, unfortunately, is widespread amongst even Professor Wolff's audience.

Those of us who actually HAVE read Marx, Lenin, Luxemburg, Liebknecht, et cetera, and who already have developed a revolutionary theory, and a precise understanding of the problems confronting us, are LIGHT YEARS in front of many of the others who watch.

[marcionphilologos]

The employers follow the laws of capitalism, and adapt their product and mode of production to new technology etc. THIS COMPETITIVE DYNAMISM IS IN THE INTEREST OF HUMAN SOCIETY AS A WHOLE. The worker is conservative in nature and unwilling to understand the need for change. SOCIAL SECURITY MAKES LOSING A JOB MORE ACCEPTABLE. A COOPERATIVE SOCIETY, NOT LED BY RATIONAL CAPITALIST, WILL INEVITABLE IMPOVERISH AND