Celebrate Workplace Democratic Ownership
Join the Canadian Worker Co-operative Federation (CWCF), Worker Co-operatives, CoopZone, Co-op Developers and co-op friends for three days of sharing, connecting and learning.
To celebrate CWCF’s 25th anniversary the conference will look at milestones over the past 25 years for both CWCF and for worker co-ops, and also make plans for the next 25 years. Many worker co-operatives will be featured through dynamic Co-op “Ignite” presentations and on various panels. Opportunities for networking and discussing with each other will be prioritized.
Register for the Solidarity Works conference
Early bird rate in place until September 16th, 2016
Check out the Solidarity Works Facebook page
Thursday evening will be a Birthday Celebration Solidarity Supper followed by entertainment by Bill Bourne, a Juno award-winning musician from Edmonton.
The Keynote speaker, Kathy Bardwick, CEO, The Co-operators will speak on Solidarity in the Co-op movement on Thursday afternoon.
Under Kathy’s leadership, The Co-operators has prospered and grown, and is recognized today as a leader in the Canadian insurance industry as well as the co-operative sector. She has led a transformation of the organization as it adopted more sustainable business practices over the past several years. These accomplishments have earned a number of honours for The Co-operators in recent years.
In addition, Kathy sits on the Board of the International Co-operative Alliance, where she chairs the Commission on Co-operative Capital. She will address the CWCF Conference on Solidarity in the Co-operative Movement just a few weeks before her retirement in December, 2016.
Some of the practical training topics that will be covered are:
- Managing the Democratic Process in a Worker Co-operative, by Alain Bridault
- Financing Worker Co-ops
- Legal Issues in Worker Co-ops, presented by lawyers Mary Childs (Vancouver) and Celia Chandler (Iler-Campbell, Toronto)
- People and Co-ops: Maintaining Mutual Respect and Dignity within your Worker Co-op – reporting on new research, by Peter Hough
- Strengthening your Co-op’s Value Proposition – Positioning your co-op for more effective sales: through price, branding and advertising
- The Leap Manifesto and the Worker Co-op Movement
Some of the other presenters include:
- Andy Broderick, VP, Impact Market Development, Vancity and Managing Director, New Market Funds
- Tracey Kliesch, General Manager and CEO, CCEC Credit Union
- Rebecca Kemble (US FWC Past President, and City Councillor, Madison, Wisc.)
- Jessica Gordon-Nembhard, Professor, Dept. of African American Studies, City University of New York (CUNY), and member, Grassroots Economic Organizing Collective
- Isabel Faubert, Executive Director, Quebec WC Network / Réseau de la coopération du travail du Québec
- Seth Klein, BC Director of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
Optional tours on November 2nd to:
- The Vancouver Convention Centre, for which SSG Worker Co-op did the LEED Certification, and
- The Wood Shop Workers Co-op.
