News

Today, and every day, we at Democracy at Work Institute express our solidarity and support for Black people who are fighting racism on all fronts. Our team is heartbroken by the loss of George Floyd’s life -- and the lives of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and countless unnamed others. We are heartbroken by the violent pattern of disregard for black lives in America. Black lives matter. It is unequivocally wrong that people must march in the streets for the right not to be murdered. It is fundamentally unethical to have to petition repeatedly for your humanity to be recognized and… more

As the historic effects of the nation’s COVID-19 outbreak continue to impact the businesses we know, love, and run, we anticipate this year’s national convening of worker cooperatives will be our most important conference to date. Responding to this crisis requires collective action capable of rebuilding an economy that values workers, honors collective fates, and centers equity. Therefore, we’re shifting to hosting a virtual 2020 Worker Co-op Conference, including online sessions and topical gatherings this September. The in-person Worker Co-op Conference will still be held in Philadelphia, in 2021. We will relish meeting up with event attendees in real life… more

Protect Small Businesses and Their Workforce As an economic justice organization using the tool of shared business ownership, Democracy at Work Institute advocates for expanded coronavirus relief packages that prioritize the protection of working people and vulnerable communities. COVID-19 relief bailouts of Wall Street and airlines will not rebuild a healthy society. The 156 million working people of the United States will do that, and relief should be focused on strengthening the social safety net that will protect and support them to rebuild. Economic impacts will disproportionately affect women, poor families, people of color and immigrant communities -- the majority… more

Our team is excited to congratulate DAWI Senior Managing Director Vanessa Bransburg on being named a 2020 NALCAB Pete Garcia Community Economic Development Fellow. Created by the National Association of Latino Community Asset Builders (NALCAB), the fellowship aims to address the growing leadership gap in non-profit community development and equip the next generation of Latino leaders with the skills needed to succeed. The Pete Garcia Community Economic Development Fellowship is a nine-month leadership training program for Latino leaders from around the country. This year, 16 professionals were selected for this prestigious program that aims to cultivate future Latino leaders. It… more

In 2019, we released preliminary findings from the first national survey of individuals in democratic workplaces across the U.S. Sponsored by DAWI and conducted in partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the Center on Wisconsin Strategy (COWS), Rutgers University School of Management and Labor Relations, and the U.S Federation of Worker Cooperatives (USFWC), All About the Workers presents high-quality baseline data about the workplace attitudes, experiences, and demographics of individuals who work at democratic worker-owned firms. Findings from this new data are informing DAWI and USFWC efforts to build the field, advocate for worker co-ops in the political arena, and… more

Every year Democracy At Work Institute and the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives conduct the Annual Economic Census to study the economic and social benefits of worker cooperatives. We want to invite your workplace to participate. This is an opportunity to contribute to major, ongoing research that will not only help shape the future for worker cooperatives in the US, but it also helps us show off just the strong, meaningful, and rapid growth of our sector. Every year we publish a State of the Sector report that helps inform our strategies for growth, advocacy and to support each other… more

Our School of Democratic Management is evolving and growing! DAWI is thrilled to partner with Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations to offer this Certificate Program in Participatory Management. This partnership helps us increase our reach and better share the knowledge to make all values-driven businesses stronger. The New Jersey/New York Center for Employee Ownership at the Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations (SMLR) and the Democracy at Work Institute today announced a new program to help organizations increase engagement and productivity by giving a voice to rank-and-file workers. Modeled on the successful strategies used by many employee-owned… more

Celebrate Giving Tuesday by supporting worker entrepreneurship! At DAWI, we are expanding the worker cooperative model to reach workers who have been locked out of good jobs and business ownership opportunities. We work at multiple levels to foster a just, participatory economy. In 2018, we: Trained hundreds of worker-owners at our School for Democratic Management and conference events. Helped develop new shared ownership models for hundreds and eventually thousands of farmworkers in California. Helped write and pass the Main Street Employee Ownership Act, the first federal legislation ever to mention worker cooperatives by name. Changed the conversation about local economic… more

The US Federation of Worker Cooperatives and Democracy at Work Institute are thrilled to announce that the Main Street Employee Ownership Act was signed into law on August 13, 2018. Please join us in celebrating the first legislation in support of employee ownership in over two decades, and the first to explicitly name worker cooperatives as a priority for the SBA. This is a huge step forward for worker cooperatives, and we are proud to have played a role in making it. Along with many allies in the field, our organizations worked in depth with the bill's author and sponsor… more