State House rally builds support for worker-owned businesses in Massachusetts
/GBCC members were among the dozens of workers, legislators, labor justice advocates, and co-op supporters who gathered at the Massachusetts State House on March 30 to encourage legislators to create more opportunities for working people to own their workplaces. The event was organized by the statewide Coalition for Worker Ownership and Power (COWOP).
Speakers at the event included GBCC President Jon Seward, Eulalio Guevarra of the Boston Center for Community Ownership, and Marcos Beleche of the Dorchester Food Co-op.
Two key bills, plus two budget amendments, are now before the legislature. If approved, they would provide access to capital and technical assistance to worker-owned businesses as well as greater governance power for workers in conventional corporations.
Amid historic economic and labor upheaval, worker-owned cooperatives offer a way forward with dignified, prosperous, and democratic jobs. The conventional corporate structure keeps decision-making far from those who do the work. Worker ownership brings greater profits, participation, and democracy to our workplaces.
Following the presentation, attendees made office visits to legislators to provide information about four legislative priorities:
H511 / S261, An Act Enabling the Massachusetts Center for Employee Ownership. This bill formalizes the role of MassCEO and establishes it as a state community economic development priority.
S1223, An Act Ensuring Fair Worker Representation on Corporate Boards of Directors. Large companies (more than $100 million in annual revenue) would be required to ensure that at least 40% of directors are elected by the employees.
A budget item offered by Sen. Julian Cyr in the FY23 budget, of $500,000 for technical assistance for worker cooperatives. This funding would help local entrepreneurs, especially people of color, establish new worker co-ops, and would facilitate conversions of existing traditional businesses to worker ownership.
A planned budget item in Round 2 of ARPA funding, $4 million for grants and loan guarantees to worker cooperatives. This funding would provide a major boost to the worker co-op ecosystem and would especially benefit new worker-owned co-ops.
In addition to the speakers, rally participants included Maggie Cohn of the Cooperative Fund of the Northeast, Stacey Cordiero of the Boston Center for Community Ownership, and Deb Beatty Mel of Boston Building Resources.
