Solidarity Works - CWCF's 25th Anniversary Conference
2016 Conference Report 

Solidarity Works - Celebrating 25 Years!

 
Bill Bourne
 
CWCF Timeline from 1916
   
CWCF Timeline from 1990

Timeline documentation will be assembled and posted on the CWCF website soon.

MelanieMelanie Conn  - Receives the 2016 Mark Goldblatt Award

CWCF was thrill ed to give the 2016 Mark Goldblatt Award to Melanie Conn during our Solidarity Supper on Thursday, November 3 in Vancouver.  Marty Frost and Lee Fuge provided background on the award and Melanie's achievements. 

boardCWCF Board 2016:  CWCF Elects New President, expresses its appreciation to outgoing directors
 
Reba Plummer, Board President
Following its 25th anniversary AGM/Conference in Vancouver, BC, on November 7th, the Canadian Worker Co-operative Federation (CWCF) elected a new President, Reba Plummer. 
 

PeterA Worker Co-op Member's Perspective 
 
By Peter Driftmier, The Grain Exchange, Calgary

Sharing the 25th CWCF Timeline
I had the privilege of attending this year's CWCF conference/AGM. What I witnessed during the conference was a sense of history, of energy, of challenges, and an atmosphere of solidarity which rendered any challenge to feel like it could be overcome. It was a celebration of 25 years as a federation, and a visioning for the coming 25.
 
There was something particularly beautiful about this conference. The tagline for the gathering was "Solidarity Works", and that does in part sum it up for me; the other part being pride.

highlightsCWCF - CoopZone 2016 Conference Highlights

Kathy Bardswick, CEO, The Co-operators
by Kaye Grant

On November 3rd to 5th, 2016 we celebrated 25 years at CWCF.  We looked back at our first 25 years of history and then spent some time looking forward to our next 25 years. 
 
  Kathy Bardswick, our keynote speaker and CEO of The Co-operators, spoke to us of the importance of connection to each other as human beings in our co-operatives, and the importance of being member-driven.  She also implored us to have co-operatives work more effectively together,
Jessica Gordon-Nembhard and Rebecca Kemble
and to reconsider the role of capital in co-operatives, linked to the work she is leading through the ICA's   Blue Ribbon Commission on Capital.

Read more here.
BlogThoughts about the Conference - Blog
 
By Celia Chandler, Iler Campbel LLP, Toronto (CoopZone Legal Network member) 
 
Alain Bridault
I attended the conference on Friday morning, Alain Bridault kicked the morning off with a plenary session "Managing the Democratic Governance Process in a Worker Co-op." Bridault discussed the challenge of governing when your members are also your employees. 

radioVancouver Co-op Radia:  Reports and Interviews 
 
By Robin Puga, Each for All Co-op Radio / CanTrust Hosting Worker Co-op
 
This year our co-op joined the Canadian Worker Co-op Federation and attended the 25th Anniversary AGM. It was an immense amount of fun and so interesting to meet people from across the country who are following their passions.

Each for All has posted two podcasts regarding the CWCF-CoopZone conference.

CWCF 2016 Conference Report (part 1) + Health Sector Check-In

In this episode, we present part 1 of our report on the conference with guests:
  • Chris Nichols, worker-owner of Wood Shop Workers Co-op  (https://woodshop.coop/)
  • Josh Peterman, Each For All producer and new to worker co-ops
  • And myself, Robin Puga, Each For All producer and worker-owner of CanTrust Hosting Co-op (http://cantrusthosting.coop/)

CWCF 2016 Conference Report (part 2) - Co-op Interviews

We're pleased to bring you a series of interviews from the 25th Anniversary AGM of the Canadian Worker Co-op Federation. Each For All producers Josh Peterman and I attended the conference and asked three questions:
  • Who are you?
  • What is your co-op?
  • What advice would you have for someone wanting to start a co-op like yours?
Here's what they all had to say.


developers2016 Developer's Caucus Meeting

By Hazel Corcoran

At the Developers' Caucus meeting, facilitated by Peter Hough, there was a round-table discussion in which participants presented projects they were working on. Many different projects were mentioned, and participants seemed to really enjoy this exchange. 

  Read more here
BCslackB.C. Region Slack Group

The CWCF B.C. members have set up a Slack group to stay in touch.  If other B.C. worker co-ops wish to join the conversation please email Greg Demmons from the Real English Victoria Co-op here.

sponsorsThank you to our Conference sponsors!