Setting Up A Worker Owned Cooperative for Aspies and HFAs

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lotuspuppy, I saw your insightful comment: "Just remember that the best individuals for certain jobs may come from outside of the community the coop is targeting. Take marketing."

Yes, the cooperative would be set up to include both autistic and NT worker-owners. A key goal would be to create an innovative and supportive atmosphere where each member's talents and strengths could be identified and nurtured to reach their fullest potential. Members would also have the chance to cross-train and rotate job duties so they would be exposed to the different aspects of operating the cooperative. Thus, we want members to be rewarded for their strengths, but at the same time also understand and relate to the whole picture and how all the puzzle pieces fit together.

I look forward to more insight from you!

Still swimming, I love the ideas. But you need to crawl before you walk, "GLOBAL BRAND." You found the nuts and bolts and then some.

I think this thread is the link between, the birth of your idea and the start. Is that correct? But there's still more steps between.

How about create a list of possible jobs and edit it? The discuss each profession? Pro's and cons?

Also like maybe, list steps? Step one, come up with idea (done), step two discuss online - from this point on I don't know where it goes. Planing a plan.

I really like it. Visionary. Still swimming, crawl, then walk, then RUN!

Yeah there is alot of potental in this idea but i agree that more steps will be needed. If it all gets put together i would love to support it.

Smartalex and iHigh, you are right, there are lots of steps ahead!

My proposed order of doing things is to gather interest, obtain at least one potential corporate/institutional client, determine which hiring needs of that client could be fulfilled by our coop workers, collaborate with the client to design a brief training program for those jobs, recruit members who are already qualified or are trainable, develop the cooperative structure, and create the initial membership base. I would also elicit the assistance of managers/founders of established cooperatives, consultants from cooperative associations, and other professionals and prominent business people so we can get the ball rolling as soon as possible. My goal is to have the worker cooperative formed and ready to accept clients before the end of 2012.

Here are the foundational principles of a Cooperative as set forth by the International Cooperative Alliance in Geneva:
Statement on the Co-operative Identity
Definition
A co-operative is an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly-owned and democratically-controlled enterprise.

Values
Co-operatives are based on the values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity. In the tradition of their founders, co-operative members believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others.

Principles
The co-operative principles are guidelines by which co-operatives put their values into practice.

1st Principle: Voluntary and Open Membership
Co-operatives are voluntary organisations, open to all persons able to use their services and willing to accept the responsibilities of membership, without gender, social, racial, political or religious discrimination.

2nd Principle: Democratic Member Control
Co-operatives are democratic organisations controlled by their members, who actively participate in setting their policies and making decisions. Men and women serving as elected representatives are accountable to the membership. In primary co-operatives members have equal voting rights (one member, one vote) and co-operatives at other levels are also organised in a democratic manner.

3rd Principle: Member Economic Participation
Members contribute equitably to, and democratically control, the capital of their co-operative. At least part of that capital is usually the common property of the co-operative. Members usually receive limited compensation, if any, on capital subscribed as a condition of membership. Members allocate surpluses for any or all of the following purposes: developing their co-operative, possibly by setting up reserves, part of which at least would be indivisible; benefiting members in proportion to their transactions with the co-operative; and supporting other activities approved by the membership.

4th Principle: Autonomy and Independence
Co-operatives are autonomous, self-help organisations controlled by their members. If they enter to agreements with other organisations, including governments, or raise capital from external sources, they do so on terms that ensure democratic control by their members and maintain their co-operative autonomy.

5th Principle: Education, Training and Information
Co-operatives provide education and training for their members, elected representatives, managers, and employees so they can contribute effectively to the development of their co-operatives. They inform the general public - particularly young people and opinion leaders - about the nature and benefits of co-operation.

6th Principle: Co-operation among Co-operatives
Co-operatives serve their members most effectively and strengthen the co-operative movement by working together through local, national, regional and international structures.

7th Principle: Concern for Community
Co-operatives work for the sustainable development of their communities through policies approved by their members.

The International Cooperative Alliance has developed a website which showcases cooperatives and their stories from around the world. See: http://stories.coop to learn more about types of cooperatives that have been formed.

Stillswimming,
If you are interested in the nuclear plants idea, you might want to try to advertise on www.nuclearstreet.com that is where I get a lot of information and they have links to companies that do a lot of the "outage" work. I was also thinking of Areva, the French nuclear power company because being European they might be more understanding of the idea. In Pittsburgh, we have Westinghouse which I have been trying to get into through the "normal" channels with no success. Most positions you have to have a degree in engineering. I have been trying to get in as an office media assistant, which I would qualify for, but now I wonder if that is too much multitasking. Often in that industry, even I would have to travel to the power plants (in my case to provide clerical and adminstrative support to the engineers). Some of the work, such as making the NRC certified welding may be very heavy and some of the tight security with guns would make me nervous. But there a lot of rules which people on the spectrum may like.

1. This is the line of thinking I'm pursuing. Although I'm approaching my own idea from a different angle, I'm very interested in keeping track of how your project develops, what obstacles you run into, and your successes.


2. I am married and have four kids. I have three sets of Aspie friends, all married with kids. Probably best to refrain from overgeneralizations like "autistic people tend not to be married or have kids."

i think many unionized employees make $100K+ per year but what was striking about the stagehand example was that after the CEO of Carnegie Hall, the next 5 highest paid employees at the institution were unionized stagehands of one form or another. So that means they made more than the CFO and the EVPs, the general counsel, and all the business development and fundraising guys. I love the theater and should have tried out stage prep while in college just to be part of the "magic" of theatrical performances. You don't have to suffer from stage fright and you can surround yourself with the creative types. And you get to watch some awesome acts and amazingly talented people perform for free. Being a stagehand doesn't sound like a bad gig except I would be afraid to be up the ladder for long periods of time (I have a fear of heights)!

Have you finished the web page yet?

We might as Alex to put up an new discussion thread on this topic. It could be divided by geography, proposed business plan, and skills.

It sounds über cool. How would you attract jobs, though!? That I do not understand.

Just for the States? Or other countries too?

I don't know how cooperatives work day to day, though I did read quickly through your mandate again just now.

StillSwimming, I'm a new user here so I can't post URLs. At the bottom of this message I've put a title in quotes, and if you search for that in any engine you'll find a particular cooperative development model which may be interesting to you, it seems you're designing a cooperative specifically for high-functioning individuals, so this may not be entirely relevant. I'm hoping others on this thread will find it useful, or you may encounter other potential entrepreneurs for which this stewardship model for cooperative development would be of interest.

Also, in case you need financing for your co-op, there are a couple loan funds that exist exclusively to finance cooperatives. If you're considering debt financing, look into the Cooperative Fund of New England (it's a regional fund), and Northcountry Cooperative Development Fund (operating in the rest of the country, outside New England).

Best wishes on your project!

"Rural Economic Development: A Stewardship Model for Organizing Worker Cooperatives"