Richard Wolff: 'Worker Cooperatives: Movements for Social Change and Personal Empowerment' - 1 of 2

This talk was presented by Global Voices for Justice on October 5, 2016 in San Francisco, California. Prof. Wolff talks about worker coops and democratic decision-making in the workplace.

[AnotherWayFilms]

Thank you thank you for posting this important talk!

Richard Wolff has earned himself a place alongside Noam Chomsky, Cornel West, Chris Hedges and other intellectual luminaries of our day.
Times they are a changing!

[jamesdoyle]

Very intriguing business model. The older I get, the less hard core conservative I become. If a greater percentage of US businesses are organized this way we will be living in a far better economy. I’m not sure how many workers would want this, as so many I know want nothing to do with the responsibility of decision making but for those that do I see tremendous opportunity.

[jimlaregina]

Illuminating, despite the poor lighting.

[nicolasm]

One of the best speech on economic democracy I had the pleasure to listen to. Gives fuel for organizing.

[northofyou]

These Wolff videos should have millions of views. Why don't they?

[BBBarua]

I have great respect for Prof. Wolff. He is absolutely right. Creating alliances is necessary in decision making process. (why, what, how and where?)

[guillermorivas]

Dr. Richard Wolff is riveting in this. Americans should embrace Worker Co-Opts / ESOPs -- after all it's healthy competition for a capitalist hierarchical system. Aren't we Americans in favor of choice and competition? We tell our children to share at a young age only to find out we do the total opposite when we're adults. He makes too much sense and what he is asking for isn't far-fetched. It's actually attainable. I have said this before, I'll say it again, Dr. Wolff is the Milton Friedman of the Left.

Unique. Refreshing. Interesting.

[rethikar]

Thank you professor Richard Wolff for your views on worker coops.this is global voice for social justice.you mentioned that this is alternative solution to capitalism.why all capitalist countries follow this method.

[unmasked]

And, Dr. Wolff, please make it clear to your viewing audience that Putin is not behind worker coops ! LOL

[corinlanser]

I think a key point he makes is effectively if you're working at a company which isn't a worker coop then your working for a dictatorship.. sounds heavy but that's right isn't it, it's not democratic. workers are 'dictated to', you do what your told, you may have some input but in most organisations I've worked in don't really be honest about what you think, only give your input if it falls along the lines of what the company leaders want to do... or you know what will happen, they'll get rid of you!

[mrzack]

standing to shake is a form of meditation.

[foldby]

There are at least seven key ingredients of happiness: People who live in the happiest countries have longer life expectancies, have more social support, have more freedom to make life choices, have lower perceptions of corruption, experience more generosity, experience less inequality of happiness and have a higher gross domestic product per capita, the report shows.

[rafaelbarreto]

The workers must gather to decide all these things, the market tendencies, the raw materials, the political situation, etc. Meanwhile, the factory stops while the workers discuss and decide ... Excellent idea, Mr Wolff ... !!

[jonathankammer]

I want to create a COOP in my field. I know others that are ready to establish COOP businesses in their areas. WE DO NOT KNOW HOW.

So where is the content, even paid content, that will TEACH US HOW!?

[balancebeam]

Appreciate this and all you do, Prof. Wolff. I'd also be interested in seeing "Harriet's" discussion. Who was that speaker you mentioned who discusses Worker Coops from a psychological perspective?

[Crescendotron]

Is the Revolution coming to bring change in the midst of the Religious light?

[unitedspacepirates]

Do humans have a blockchain encrypted app to coordinate propositions, ranking, and voting yet?
New to the area.

[whatwillettdo]

If anyone is listening. Does anyone have a list of coops that are working in the US. ?

[mrzack]

IMAGE comics founded officially in 1992 was a kind of a Co op.

[nthperson]

Think for a moment about the most basic human right denied to billions of people around the globe: the birthright of equal access to the planet and the natural resources required for a decent human existence. Winston Churchill described the state of the world as it existed in 1909, which has only worsened with each passing year:

"It is quite true that land monopoly is not the only monopoly which exists, but it is by far the greatest of monopolies - it is a perpetual monopoly, and it is the mother of all other forms of monopoly. It is quite true that unearned increments in land are not the only form of unearned or undeserved profit which individuals are able to secure; but it is the principal form of unearned increment which is derived from processes which are not merely not beneficial, but which are positively detrimental to the general public.



"Land, which is a necessity of human existence, which is the original source of all wealth, which is strictly limited in extent, which is fixed in geographical position. Land, I say, differs from all other forms of property in these primary and fundamental conditions."

Churchill did not advocate that the people in every society rise up to violently destroy the prevailing system of landlordism. He embraced the simple solution put forward by the American political economist Henry George. As every parcel or tract of land has some potential annual rental value, a value based not on anything the owner of land does or does not do with the land, but based on a combination of natural and societally-created advantages, this rental value belongs to the community, to society. Once this rental value of land is collected, the holder of land has fulfilled his or her financial obligation to the community. Funds will then be available to pay for democratically agreed-upon public goods and services.

Edward J. Dodson, M.L.A.
Director
School of Cooperative Individualism