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2024 Election Coverage

Can Worker-Owned Cooperatives Compete?

Courtesy of Red Emma's Facebook page

The Great Recession fueled new interest in worker-owned cooperatives, in which employees double as business owners. Though rare, worker-owned co-ops are on the rise. Advocates say when employees are in control, workers benefit and businesses are more stable. But worker co-ops have to function in a capitalist world. Can they really compete? We’ll talk with Melissa Young, co-producer of "Shift Change," a documentary that goes behind the scenes at several worker-owned cooperatives. And we’ll talk with John Duda, communications coordinator for the Democracy Collaborative, a policy research institute that has helped launch several large co-ops. Duda is also co-founder of Red Emma’s, a worker-owned coffee shop in Baltimore.

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Sheilah Kast is the host of On The Record, Monday-Friday, 9:30-10:00 am.
Andrea no longer works for On The Record.