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Who they are
The twenty five men and women of Global democratically run a small, aging factory in the barrio of Villa Devoto in Buenos Aires. They still make balloons partly by hand, with shapes ranging from giant chickens to Mickey Mouse. Though working by hand is not as efficient as the techniques used by the most advanced multinationals, their low capital cost and lack of expensive management allow them to make a comfortable salary when the plant runs at capacity. It also allows them a great deal of flexibility: they can print a custom run of balloons with your own text or photo for a mere $50, a fraction of the price you would expect to pay in North America or Europe. Something to think about for your next party!
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History
Global´s factory closed down in 2001, leaving all its workers in the street. But their story gets even worse: the former owner was alleged to have tried burning down the factory to collect the insurance. The workers mobilized to save the place where they had worked for up to thirty years, beginning a long fight to win legal control over the factory. It was a rollercoaster ride of a struggle, including a cross-country chase to retrieve equipment the owner was alleged to have stolen, and it ended with the formation of the cooperative and the reopening of Global in the hands of the workers.
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Project with The Working World
In the fire and general destruction that followed the bankruptcy, many systems in the factory were severely crippled. Among them were the gas lines, and Global has been making do with a small system they improvised themselves that only provides gas to four of their ten ovens. This invariably leads to severe bottlenecks in production. The Working World:La Base provided a fair loan of six thousand dollars to build a proper gas system that will allow Global to double their production and hire more workers.
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Footwear