Cooperatives at Work with George Cheney

SUMMARY: For too long, cooperatives have been cast to the margins of our economy and discussions around economic development and community building. Yet, there are numerous examples throughout the US and across the globe demonstrating how cooperatives serve as a viable organizational form, allowing individuals and communities to achieve their economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations. In this episode we sit down with George Cheney of the University of Colorado and talk about a recent book he co-authored titled Cooperatives at Work which takes cooperatives marginality head on and provides a range of case studies of successful cooperative organizations as well as practical lessons and strategies to grow the sector. In our interview we talk about how George's long career of researching employee ownership and cooperatives and what he and his co-authors found while writing the book including the unlevel playing field worker cooperatives in the US face, how technological change may grow or constrain cooperative development, and the relationship between worker cooperatives, sustainability, and the environment. SUPPORT THE SHOW: We make all episodes of Owners at Work free and never place them behind a paywall. But, they take time and money to produce. Consider making a DONATION today to help keep our work going. INFO : Link to the book Cooperatives at Work: https://books.emeraldinsight.com/page/detail/cooperatives-at-work/?k=9781838678289 Link to a preview of the book: https://www.vieta.ca/post/our-new-book-cooperatives-at-work WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU: We are always looking for new employee ownership stories to tell. Please contact us with your story at [email protected]