Article
Union Co-Ops and the Revival of Labor Law
Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution
(2018)
Abstract
Union worker-owned cooperatives (union co-ops) offer a means to combat growing income and wealth inequality, create jobs, and recirculate money in the communities in which they are located. This article contributes to the academic literature about cooperative economics, worker ownership, and labor relations in two distinct ways. First, it relies on original author-collected data from interviews of those involved in establishing Our Harvest, an urban farm in Cincinnati, to discuss the issues involved in establishing a union co-op. Our Harvest was the first union co-op created because of a 2009 partnership to foster union co-ops in the United States. Second, the article addresses the labor law issues involved in establishing a union co-op. The issues include whether worker-owners are covered by the National Labor Relations Act, whether a co-op is required to bargain about worker ownership with the union representing its employees, whether a union co-op can require its employees to join a union, and how union co-ops can use interest-based collective bargaining. The article suggests ways that unions can legally support and finance union co-ops, provides an appendix of legal services, and includes tables to simply complex legal issues. At its best, the article will contribute to the scaling up of union co-ops and a concurrent revival of labor law that enables a more equitable economy for all.
Keywords
- cooperatives,
- unions,
- labor law,
- dispute resolution,
- worker-owned co-op
Disciplines
Publication Date
2018
Citation Information
Ariana R. Levinson. "Union Co-Ops and the Revival of Labor Law" Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution Vol. 19 (2018) Available at: http://works.bepress.com/ari-levinson/10/