Documentary #8: Worker Cooperatives Pt. 2 – Islands within a Sea of Capitalism (Documentary)

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Jun 12, 2018

Explore the Mondragon Cooperative Corporation in Spain and its success in combating inequality. Learn about the challenges faced by cooperatives in the face of globalization and capitalist pressures. Discover the need for cooperatives to be part of broader political movements to challenge capitalism. Hear about Cooperation Jackson's vision of empowering the Black working class and transforming the political economy of Jackson, Mississippi.

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ANECDOTE

Mondragon's Origins

Father José María Arizmendiarrieta founded Mondragon to build community resilience and solidarity.
He created a school, the first industrial cooperative (Ulgor, now Fagor), and a bank to support the growing network.

INSIGHT

Solidarity and Pay Ratio

Mondragon's worker solidarity system reassigns workers from bankrupt co-ops to others, preventing layoffs.
The pay ratio between the highest and lowest paid worker is 1 to 6, drastically lower than in the US.

ANECDOTE

Mondragon's Growth

During the 1980s, Mondragon scaled up amidst Spain's transition from dictatorship and an industrial crisis.
The Basque Country reinvested in manufacturing and adopted social economy models, unlike other regions.

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In the second episode of the series on worker cooperatives, we build on the conversation that we began in Episode one, which explored how cooperatives can serve as a force to widen the spheres of democracy in our society. This second episode shifts the focus outward, exploring how cooperatives confront global capitalism. "Islands within a Sea of Capitalism" takes a deep dive into the Mondragon Cooperative Corporation—the largest network of federated cooperatives in the world. We take listeners on a journey through the Basque region of northern Spain where Mondragon is located, and explore Mondragon's successes and challenges through candid conversations with several worker-members at Mondragon headquarters and at various cooperatives within the federation.

After presenting an in-depth exploration of the recent and mixed history of Mondragon from multiple perspectives—including a Marxist analysis—we travel across the Atlantic to Jackson, Mississippi, where an ambitious initiative is just getting underway. Cooperation Jackson is part of the same trans-local organizing movement that inspired Cooperation Richmond, which was featured in Episode one. Cooperation Jackson aims to be the Mondragon of North America.

Featuring: Kali Akuno — Co-founder and co-director of Cooperation Jackson Gorka Espiau —Senior Fellow at the Agirre Lehendakaria Center at the University of the Basque Country Sam Gindin — Writer, director of research at the Canadian Auto Workers (retired) Professor of Political Science at York University (retired) Ander Exteberria — Cooperative dissemination at Mondragon Corporation Izaksun Ezpeleta — Worker/member at Fagor Electronics Andoni — Worker/member at Fagor Ederland.

Music by: Chris Zabriskie, Will Stratton, Mississippi Sheiks

Many thanks to Phil Wrigglesworth for the cover art, as well as to Ellie Llewelyn, Kenneth Rosales, and Neda Raymond for assistance with translation and voice over.

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