CICOPA invites to you join its upcoming webinar in collaboration with CICOPA Asia-Pacific on the 28 September 2022.   The collaboration between worker cooperatives and trade unions is a topic of great interest for CICOPA and its members. After some internal discussions on that topic, CICOPA, in collaboration with CICOPA Asia-pacific, decided to enlarge the discussion to a wider audience, with a specific focus on the Asia-Pacific region. On the 28 of September 2022, CICOPA, with the close collaboration of the recently established network of CICOPA Asia-Pacific, will be organizing the webinar “Worker Cooperatives and Trade Unions: Exploring Relations in the Asia-Pacific Region”. Continue reading →

This months Co-op News has a feature on our recent Strategy Workshop at Wortley Hall

“An organisation has been formed to try to build a new wave of fully unionised worker co-ops “that have unions at the core of their democracy”.

Union-coops:uk says it wants to encourage mutually beneficial collaboration between the union and co-op movements through the union co-op model – which has already been put to work in parts of the US, such as Cincinnati, Ohio. “We believe the union co-op model is a powerful tool to counter mainstream economic narratives,” they say. “It is a living example that another way is possible.”

The group held a meeting at Wortley Hall, near Sheffield, in May – with participants…………..”

Read the whole article here on the news.coop website

 

 

Our colleague, Alex Bird from union-coops:uk will be speaking at the CICOPA learning event on July 14th from 14h00 to 16h00 (CEST) 13.00 to 15,00 (BST)

This will be the 3rd edition of the CICOPA members’ mutual learning session. This session will be the opportunity for members to meet and discuss: “Worker cooperatives and unions: how to build a healthy relationship?”

Continue reading →

 

The notes of our Conference at Wortley Hall are now published at:-
https://www.union-coops.uk/publications/conference-22

union-coops:uk membership is open to all who support our aims

Annual membership fees are a minimum donation of £10 for individuals or £25 for organisations, however we encourage members to make a larger donation if they can. This especially applies to larger organisations who we would encourage to give up to 0.01% of their annual income if they are able.

Go to our Join Us page or complete the details below

Please set up an annual payment to our bank, details below, and send us a message via the box below headed membership, and including your name/organisation/address/amount

Our bank details are:-

Bank: Unity Trust Bank
Name: union-coops:uk Limited
Account Number: 20438762
Sortcode: 60-83-01

Our conference, Sponsored by BFAWU, MU, and Co-operative Ways Forward, took place on May 20th/21st 2022 at Wortley Hall, the “workers stately home” having been delayed from October 2021 due to Covid.

22 of us met to develop a strategy to build the union-coops movement in the UK and to plan out our actions for the coming year and beyond. Our movement is now bigger and stronger, and we have the backing of key players in the trade union and worker co-operative movement. We are committed to build membership and influence. More details will be posted here soon

Our first face to face conference on May 20th/21st at Wortley Hall is getting nearer

Had enough of Zoomathons?
Want to get to meet colleagues face to face, chat, enjoy a drink, put the world to rights?
Want to learn more about how unions and worker co-ops can work together for decent work and an end to our current employment miseries?

Why not join us. Day tickets are only £40 including lunch, tea and coffee?
24 hour delegate tickets including a dinner with Sarah Wooley are £160

Day Delegate Bursaries, sponsored by Co-operative Ways Forward, are available for anyone on benefits or in low paid insecure work and unable to afford the full rate. Just follow the link to Eventbrite and click on Bursary Ticket

We’ve a great line-up of speakers, including:-

Sarah Woolley (Gen Sec BFAWU)
David Barnard (MU)
Cheryl Barrott (Co-op Party)
Miguel Martinez-Lucio (University of Manchester)
Ian Manborde (Equality & Diversity Organiser – Equity)
Ian Wilson (CASE)
Sion Whellens (Workers Co-op Council)
Anita Mangan (Bristol Univ15ersity)
Cath Muller
Cilla Ross
Mark Simmonds (Co-op Culture)
Fredy Velez (BFAWU Suma)

And via a live video link from USA:-

Michael Peck (1worker1vote) (USA)
Kevin O’Brien (Worx Printing) (USA)
Ellen Vera (Coop Cincy) (USA)
Ra Criscitiello (SEIU-UHW) (USA)
Erik Forman (The Drivers’ Coop – TDC in NYC)
Steve Sleigh (The Drivers’ Coop – TDC in NYC)

They will be talking about creating union-coops, including the multi million dollar, 2,500 member drivers coop in New York, and their involvement in the unionisation struggles at Amazon and Starbucks

Bookings for the conference are open at:-
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/decent-work-our-first-conference-is-rescheduled-to-may-20th21st-2022-tickets-149918110103

It’s all systems go for our upcoming conference, Decent Work at Wortley Hall, the “workers’ stately home” on May 21st/22nd

We’re really looking forward to meeting everyone face to face again, and we’ll also be welcoming guests from the USA via video link. Weekend tickets including accommodation on Friday night and all meals are just £160, and a Saturday day ticket is £40.

A small number of bursaries are available for people under 30 with limited income at https://union-coops.uk/bursaries-2/

Bookings for the conference are now open at:-
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/decent-work-our-first-conference-is-rescheduled-to-may-20th21st-2022-tickets-149918110103

For those of you who may have missed any of our online events this winter, recordings of the first three are available on our website at https://union-coops.uk/online-events-2021-22/

If you want to register for the final one, go to https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/x/online-events-series-oct-2021-to-may-2022-tickets-178607739557

We’ve fixed the dates for our next three online events. They will take place at 16.30 GMT on Wednesdays Jan 19th, Feb 23rd & March 30th The first, on Jan 19th is:- Trade Union Education: its role in developing union-coops Speakers to include Siân Gale (BECTU), Julian Manley (UCLAN), Andrew Birchall (Preston Trade Union Education Centre) The second on Feb 23rd is:- The role of a trade union in a union-coop structure Speakers tbc And the third on March 30th is:- Workplace/Economic Democracy: What may this look like to union members and ordinary workers whose work experience is confined to the standard model of Master/Manager/Subservient worker? Speakers tbc Events series sponsored by BFAWU, MU, and Co-operative Ways Forward The whole events series can be booked via our Eventbrite page:- https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/x/online-events-series-oct-2021-to-may-2022-tickets-178607739557 Sign up now and we’ll email with details of each event as soon as they’re booked ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bookings are also open for our face to face conference at Wortley Hall on May 19th/20th 2022 “Decent Work & Democracy” Our face-to-face conference on union-coops at Wortley Hall, South Yorkshire has been rescheduled to May 20th/21st 2022 Conference sponsored by BFAWU, MU, and Co-operative Ways Forward Join us for union-coops:uk‘s first conference at Wortley Hall, near Sheffield, “the worker’s stately home”. Set in 26 acres of parkland, this grand stately home venue was built by Sir Richard Wortley in 1586, but is now owned and run by a workers co-op This event has been rescheduled from 2021 due to Covid-19 We will be taking every precaution necessary to maintain a safe environment, but if the pandemic conditions require it, we will not hesitate to reschedule again. If that is necessary you will be offered a place at the re-scheduled event or a full refund – the choice is yours. Similarly,  if you are unfortunate enough to have to self-isolate we will offer a full refund. Your safety and security is our highest priority Speakers will include:-

• Cheryl Barrott (Co-op Party)
• Miguel Martinez-Lucio (University of Manchester)
• Ian Manborde (Equality & Diversity Organiser – Equity)
• Michael Peck (1worker1vote – USA)
• Ian Wilson (CASE)
• Sion Whellens (Workers Co-op Council)
• Sarah Woolley (Gen Sec BFAWU)
• David Barnard (MU)

The conference starts with dinner on the Friday evening, and includes overnight accommodation and all meals. The full conference runs throughout Saturday with plenary and active learning workshops in the “world cafe” style. Delegates can sign up for the full 24 hour package, or just the Saturday sessions. As 24 hour places are limited, you are advised to book early to get a guaranteed place and the discount. Bookings for the conference are now open again at:- https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/decent-work-our-first-conference-is-rescheduled-to-may-20th21st-2022-tickets-149918110103

We’ve fixed the dates for our next three online events. They will take place at 16.30 GMT on Wednesdays Jan 19th, Feb 23rd & March 30th

The first, on Jan 19th is:- 

Trade Union Education: its role in developing union-coops

Speakers to include Sian Gale (BECTU), Julian Manley (UCLAN), Andrew Birchall (Preston Trade Union education Centre)

The second on Feb 23rd is:-

The role of a trade union in a union-coop structure

Speakers tbc

And the third on March 30th is:-

Workplace/Economic Democracy: What may this look like to union members and ordinary workers whose work experience is confined to the standard model of Master/Manager/Subservient worker?

Speakers tbc

Events series sponsored by BFAWU, MU, and Co-operative Ways Forward

The whole events series can be booked via our Eventbrite page:-

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/x/online-events-series-oct-2021-to-may-2022-tickets-178607739557

Sign up now and we’ll email with details of each event as soon as they’re booked

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bookings are also open for our face to face conference at Wortley Hall on May 19th/20th 2022

“Decent Work & Democracy”

Our face-to-face conference on union-coops at Wortley Hall, South Yorkshire has been rescheduled to May 20th/21st 2022

Conference sponsored by BFAWU, MU, and Co-operative Ways Forward

Join us for union-coops:uk‘s first conference at Wortley Hall, near Sheffield, “the worker’s stately home”. Set in 26 acres of parkland, this grand stately home venue was built by Sir Richard Wortley in 1586, but is now owned and run by a workers co-op

This event has been rescheduled from 2021 due to Covid-19

We will be taking every precaution necessary to maintain a safe environment, but if the pandemic conditions require it, we will not hesitate to reschedule again. If that is necessary you will be offered a place at the re-scheduled event or a full refund – the choice is yours.

Similarly,  if you are unfortunate enough to have to self-isolate we will offer a full refund.

Your safety and security is our highest priority

Speakers will include:-

• Cheryl Barrott (Co-op Party)
• Miguel Martinez-Lucio (University of Manchester)
• Ian Manborde (Equality & Diversity Organiser – Equity)
• Michael Peck (1worker1vote – USA)
• Ian Wilson (CASE)
• Sion Whellens (Workers Co-op Council)
• Sarah Woolley (Gen Sec BFAWU)
• David Barnard (MU)

The conference starts with dinner on the Friday evening, and includes overnight accommodation and all meals.

The full conference runs throughout Saturday with plenary and active learning workshops in the “world cafe” style. Delegates can sign up for the full 24 hour package, or just the Saturday sessions.

As 24 hour places are limited, you are advised to book early to get a guaranteed place and the discount.

Bookings for the conference are now open again at:- 

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/decent-work-our-first-conference-is-rescheduled-to-may-20th21st-2022-tickets-149918110103