Is there really a “worker shortage,” or are frontline workers just tired of risking their lives for substandard pay, protections, and benefits? During the COVID-19 pandemic, worker co-ops demonstrated that it’s possible to run a successful business while still prioritizing the safety and input of workers over profits.
We speak with worker-owners at 8 co-ops in 4 states about the unique benefits, struggles, and limitations of of the worker cooperative model. In the words of Kimberly Britt, a worker-owner at ChiFresh Kitchen, “We work at and own this company, and we designed it to work for us, what would make it not feel like a job.”