Much has been made of the shared origins of the co-operative and labour movements. Both emerged in response to the social upheaval of the industrial revolution and both have sought to empower working people – albeit in different ways. Trade unions have provided workers with a collective voice to counter the owners of capital, while co-ops have presented an alternative, democratic model of ownership and control. At different times and in various places, the two have shared the vision of a ‘co-operative commonwealth’. They’ve both been closely aligned in their goal of creating an economy more accountable to people and communities.
This common vision has not always translated into strong relationships between co-ops and unions. But shared values tend to resurface in tough economic times. Take the recent collaborative agreement between Spain’s Mondragón Co-operative Corporation (MCC) and the United Steelworkers (USW) in the US and Canada.
