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Formerly unemployed,
these workers
shattered the myths
of the global economic
system and outperformed
their former
bosses.
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They and their colleagues
have become owners,
and they've proven the
world can work
better.
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The Working World Is Helping Them Do It
Development through democracy:
The next evolution in microcredit
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The Working World is extending the tools of
microlending to groups of worker-owners,
allowing us to
assault the sweatshop
economy in a way
never before
possible.
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With small amounts of credit, The Working World is helping other workers like these
show that a better world is already
possible. |
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Featured Loan
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Project with La toma
Loan for the purchase of security equipment for the cooperative's members. The work boots and uniforms will be purchased from another cooperative. This step has been a long-running dream of La Toma, and it is hoped that in addition to providing the workers with more security, it will also lead to a more stable and professional workplace. |
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See our full list of current projects here.
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| Latest Events
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June 22nd, 2009: Cooperatives now an election issue
As Argentines get ready for mid-term legislative elections next Sunday, June 28th, the cooperative model has made a surprise appearance as part of the debate: President Cristina Fernández gave a speech at an event organized by one of the associations of recovered factories in which she promised to promote a change in the bankruptcy law so that workers are the first to be given the opportunity to buy the assets of a company before it's auctioned off among other creditors.
And the Argentine government has carried out an unusual type of rescue in the case of a large bankrupt paper factory (Papelería Massuh): the company has continued operations through a trust fund financed by the government and co-managed between the government and worker delegates. Once the fund expires in 2011, the workers will be able to continue operations as a worker cooperative.
Both of these recent events have made the national newspapers, along with updates on the most recent wave of bankrupt companies recovered by worker coops. Because of our close work with several of them, The Working World/La Base has even been mentioned in a couple of these articles (see our Press section).
The conservative opposition has included these government actions within the group of accusations of state appropriations and improper tampering with the market; but it is clear that the cooperative model is increasingly becoming an attractive alternative in the midst of the recession in the economy brought on by the global crisis.
Past News Blog
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