An update on co-op activity in the Pacific Northwest !
Co-op Developments
A short monthly update about co-op development in the Pacific Northwest provided to you on or about the 20th of each month. Please share with your network!
Columbia Homeowners Cooperative Makes Regional News
Margaret Vockrodt of the Columbia Homeowners' Cooperative and ROC NW's Miles Nowlin recently made news about one of the Washington's newest resident owned community. The Longview, WA cooperative was featured in the Columbian newspaper and then Oregon Public Radio picked up the story. This was the first project of ROC NW that utilized funding from the Washington Community Reinvestment Association and Washington State Housing Finance Commission . Click the links to read and listen to this great story about affordable housing through the co-op model!
Members of Working Systems Cooperative
Working Systems Closes on Sale
The employees of Working Systems, Inc., after a year of preparation and planning, closed on the sale of the business. Now Working Systems Cooperative , the co-op has 13 members and 2 probationary members. They are the State of Washington's first* "Union Co-op". Union Co-ops are worker co-ops in which the workers also maintain a collective bargaining agreement and partner with a labor union. Communication Workers of America represent the workers of WSC. The cooperative provides software development and support for local, regional and international labor unions. Working Systems becomes the 10th active worker-owned-and-operated business and 13th worker managed business in Olympia, Washington. Currently, there are three other active conversion projects underway as well!

* Central Co-op in Seattle is a Solidarity Co-op in which the workers have ownership as employees and the seats on the board are divided between the employees and the consumer members. Central is also a unionized co-op in which the worker may be both owners and union members.
Twisted Strait Fibers Opens On-line Store!
"Twisted Strait Fibers is Open for Business!!!"
PNW Fiber Web Cooperative (dba Twisted Strait Fibers ) has opened for business! The co-op launched its commercial website ( TwistedStraitFibers.com ). The site currently features four of the co-ops 70 members (two farms, a yarn store, and a fiber studio). Consumers can purchase fiber products from three of the members ( Rain Shadow Farm , Thistlehill Farm , and Not Your Grandma's Yarn ). The current list of products include apparel, rugs, blankets, and comforters. The Co-op intends to add members to the commercial site to eventually include all participating members. In addition to products, the public can also enroll in fiber workshops that will be happening throughout the year i Port Gamble. Learn more about the co-op, the Pacific Northwest fiber community, and get updates on the progress of the co-op towards its ultimate goal of creating a full-service fiber mill on the Olympic Peninsula.
Missed the YouTube premieres or just don't like scrolling through YouTube? Watch the full 7 part series on converting an existing business to an employee-owned cooperative on our web site at The Legacy Video Series .
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 NWCDC | 360-943-4241 | 360-570-8415 | info@nwcdc.coop | www.nwcdc.coop