Baltimore's Co-Ops Show There's Another Way to Work (at the Baltimore Museum of Industry)

Baltimore's Co-Ops Show There's Another Way to Work (at the Baltimore Museum of Industry)

Author: Working People February 14, 2024 Duration: 1:12:31

Baltimore has become what many consider to be ground zero in the emerging "solidarity economy" and the formation of  worker-owned, cooperatively run businesses. There's something important going on here, and there's a lot that we can all learn from our fellow workers who are in the cooperative space—people who are living, breathing proof that there's another way to run a business, that there's another way to run our economy, and that there are other ways we can treat work and workers. At a recent event hosted by the Baltimore Museum of Industry titled "Work Matters: Building a Worker-Owned Co-op," Max moderated a panel including workers and representatives from Common Ground Bakery Café, Taharka Bros Ice Cream, A Few Cool Hardware Stores, and the Baltimore Roundtable for Economic Democracy (BRED). He talked to them about how they came to work at these different co-ops, how their businesses transitioned to more cooperative models, and they dig into the nitty gritty of what working at a co-op looks like, what it takes for workers to democratically run a business, and the real challenges, limitations, and rewards that come with this kind of work. Panelists include: Vince Green (Taharka Bros Ice Cream); David Evans (A Few Cool Hardware Stores); Craig Smith (A Few Cool Hardware Stores); Sierra Allen (Common Ground Bakery Café); Christa Daring (BRED). 

Additional links/info below…

Permanent links below...

Featured Music...

  • Jules Taylor, "Working People" Theme Song
  • Jules Taylor, "Working People Live Show" Theme Song
  • Jules Taylor, "John L. Handcox I Live On Remix" 
  • Follow Jules Taylor on Twitter and Facebook

There’s a conversation happening about the economy, politics, and culture, but too often the actual voices of the people who keep everything running are absent. Working People changes that. This is a place where the lived experience of the working class in modern America takes center stage. Produced in partnership with In These Times magazine and The Real News Network, each episode is built around a candid interview with someone from the vast and varied landscape of the American workforce. You’ll hear from teachers, factory workers, service industry employees, caregivers, and many others, each sharing the unvarnished details of their daily reality. Conversations naturally unfold to cover not just the specifics of their jobs, but the broader context of their lives-their personal histories, their political views, the dynamics within their families, and the unique blend of satisfaction and struggle that defines their world. The Working People podcast doesn’t offer abstract analysis; it provides a direct, human connection to the stories that collectively shape our society. It’s about understanding the hopes, the frustrations, and the resilience that are woven into the fabric of working-class life today. By listening, you get a genuine portrait of the people whose labor is so often discussed, yet whose own narratives are so rarely heard in such depth.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Working People
Podcast Episodes
Baltimore security guards strike for respect, healthcare, and a union [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:01
Nearly a year after workers voted to authorize a strike, non-union city and commercially contracted security officers in Baltimore, MD, will walk off the job on April 9 in an Unfair Labor Practice strike against their em…
Immigrant workers launch largest US meatpacking strike in 40 years [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:49
3,800 workers and Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 7 members at the massive JBS beef processing plant in Greeley, CO walked off the job on an unfair labor practice strike on March 16. This is the first strike eve…
"ICE got me": The urgent fight to free Ludovic Mbock [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:41
38-year-old regional video gaming champion Ludovic Mbock, who came to the US legally from Cameroon, was snatched by ICE while applying for his yearly work permit—as he's done for 20 years. He has since been detained for…