The Cooperative Economy

In a world where exploitative billionaires and corporate interests seek to increase their authority over us, it is now more important than ever to support our community and worker-owned businesses, to build solidarity and support networks so that everyone can live fine and free. go.bsky.app/UsAcPoV

This is the story of the Freedom Quilting Bee, a cooperative formed by Black women in Alabama during the height of the Civil Rights era. The co-op was formed to fund civil rights activities and became a way for its members to earn an income.

True emancipation requires not only the implementation of political participation but also the realization of economic self-determination.

Mmm, worker-owned ice cream.

I wrote about Baltimore's co-op infrastructure a couple of weeks ago... here's a much more in-depth look at what is quietly one of the most revolutionary things happening in the US.

Indigenous groups use cooperatives to preserve and pass down traditional knowledge, language, and culture. Co-ops are democratic, allowing these communities to directly participate in decisions concerning natural resources, food sovereignty, the workplace, and the economy.

The Pittsburgh Progress is a cooperative news organization owned and democratically managed by its workers and community members. Journalism of, by, and for the people. @pittsburghprogress.bsky.social pittsburghprogress.com

It's Labor Day in the US. It's the day we're supposed to celebrate worker's rights. That gets harder and harder to do every year. We wrote a thread last year all about democratic worker co-ownership (worker co-ops) that is now more important than ever. Give it a read! We're all in this together 💜

"The salon operates on a 60/40 split (60% to workers), compared w/ the industry-standard 50/50 split. Mayday also pays apprentices a living wage — $20/hr, plus tips" “A rising tide lifts all ships,” co-founder Alexa Brooke says. www.nashvillescene.com/arts_culture... #WorkerCooperatives

This is an interesting article on a worker-owned bookstore and how economic democracy can help address widening wealth inequality. Bol Bookstore in Washington, DC, is managed by its workers. They make the decisions about operations and long-term direction themselves. Thanks to @inequality.org.

Are there other ways to organize our economy? Economic democracy expands the ideal of "one person, one vote" into the economy. Democracy in our economy is the next step in realizing a society that features genuine self-determination for all people.

If you'd like and are able to support the worker-owned and democratic economy, there's a directory that helps make searching for products easier. workerowned.info Thank you to @iesai.bsky.social for building it.

There is evidence that individuals who work in worker cooperatives demonstrate higher levels of activism, volunteerism, and community involvement than demographically similar employees within traditional business structures.

What if union membership tripled? It would deliver a 14.5% raise for the median worker. It would shift $1.2 trillion to workers annually. It would significantly narrow racial wage gaps. It would increase the number of people with health insurance. This is the power of economic democracy.

I apologize for opening Bluesky just to copy-and-paste a LinkedIn post, but here goes: As part of @defector.com's grant work with Start.coop, we're co-sponsoring a 12-week accelerator program for emerging journalist-led/worker-friendly media companies. www.start.coop/accelerator

After Microsoft fired 136 of id Software's 185 staffers (+ over 3000 other Xbox jobs), producer Andrew Willis is saying worker-owned studios are "the only way to fix the video game industry"! As one such worker-owned studio, we couldn't agree more! www.gamesradar.com/games/after-...

Solar cooperatives are helping Americans save on energy costs. One person reported that after joining a solar co-op, she now only pays $5 a month instead of $300 on energy bills during the summer. These co-ops leverage collective purchasing power to make costs more affordable.

Thank you to the cooperatives, unions and support organizations sponsoring the 2026 Worker Co-op Conference #WCC26 ! @steelworkers.bsky.social Join us in Boston, MA from September 25-26 the largest worker cooperative convening in the country: wcc26.usworker.coop #WorkerCoops #WorkerOwnership

[ Special Edition! ] Cooperate, or Perish Join us as we discuss what makes Manzanita Interactive different as a worker-owned and operated cooperative game studio. store.steampowered.com/news/app/358... #gamedev

The LGBTQ+ community is a powerful force in the democratic economy and should be recognized. They are forging a more inclusive and livable economy for their communities, contributing to a system that works for working people. In a 2025 report, 42% of worker co-ops identified as being LGBTQ+-led.

Taxing billionaires alone does not abolish the system that allows them to exist. The economic structures that concentrate wealth and power remain intact. The implementation of a democratic economic system—one where becoming a billionaire is structurally impossible—is absolutely necessary.

Marginalized communities often turn to cooperative economics to resist the system that prioritizes profit for the few. Throughout U.S. history, Black communities have established cooperatives, worker-owned enterprises, and mutual aid networks as a means of pursuing economic self-determination.