As the Dean of the Business School at Mondragon University explains , “Cooperatives are not isolated. They share suppliers, they share markets, and they share in the general economic climate.” Sales of home appliances like refrigerators and dishwashers fell by 75% in just three years. Fagor’s competitors in Europe were producing in low wage countries and importing those products to Europe. Over the past few years, the other cooperatives in the Mondragon network had pumped in over $300 million euros in emergency funds to try to keep Fagor Home Appliances afloat, but with the greater Spanish economy stagnating this was not enough. However, unlike what happened in the US when the home appliance industry moved to Mexico and beyond, Fagor workers are not thrown into the street with no options. Nearly all will find positions in other Mondragon cooperatives, some will take early retirement, and all are eligible for extended unemployment benefits.

We discussed the situation extensively with Mondragon leadership, worker/owners of several coops, and faculty at Mondragon University. Despite the extraordinary measures of assistance from other Mondragon coops, the bankruptcy at Fagor is causing real hardships. Worker owners will lose their investment in the company. Other companies in the region that have been suppliers to Fagor are losing their principal customer. And as Fagor members transition to other Mondragon coops, those coops will need to lay off probationary workers, those who had not yet become members but were expecting to do so.

Worker/owners across the Mondragon cooperatives are discussing the Fagor bankruptcy and how to avoid anything like this happening again. We talked with Alaitz, a second generation member of Fagor Automation [which is still going strong] one of whose sisters is a worker owner at Fagor Home Appliances. Alaitz has the last word in SHIFT CHANGE, where she talks with pride about the Mondragon Cooperatives and vows to keep working to make them stronger for her children. She said that she had been thinking about what she says in SHIFT CHANGE and about whether she would say the same thing again after what has happened. “Yes,” she said, “I certainly would.”

SHIFT CHANGE

The film will be introduced by journalist and GRITtv host, Laura Flanders; filmmakers Mark Dworkin and Melissa Young will host a discussion after the screening.

The New York theatrical premiere of SHIFT CHANGE is co-sponsored by SolidarityNYC, New York City Network of Worker Cooperatives, New Economics Institute, Green Worker Coops, Democracy at Work, Toolbox for Education and Social Action, and YES! Magazine.

TICKETS:  Tickets are $10 and may be purchased online at shiftchangeNYC.brownpapertickets.com. Tickets will be available for purchase at the box office on June 10 (cash only).

SPREAD THE WORD: Get the word out about the NYC premiere by sharing it on your social networks! Below are sample tweets and Facebook status updates you can use to let your networks know about SHIFT CHANGE.

Twitter

NYC premiere of new #doc @Shift_Change 6/10 @AnthologyFilm http://tinyurl.com/ShiftChangeNYC #coops #neweconomy #mondragon

Facebook

The new coop documentary SHIFT CHANGE [tag @shiftchangemovie] is coming to NYC on 6/10! Join me at @AnthologyFilm for a screening and discussion. Tickets are $10. Buy online: http://tinyurl.com/ShiftChangeNYC

Below is just a small sampling of the messages and comments people have sent us in response to the preview, which you can watch here. Would you like to add your thoughts or remarks? Please do so in the comments below. Thank you, and if you like what you see and read about Shift Change, please consider making a contribution to help us finish the film.

“This is a timely, informative and inspiring project! I’ve been fortunate to follow the work of Moving Images since the inception of Shift Change. Melissa, Mark and Tony’s work is inventive and thorough. The film will be a rich resource for academic courses, public discussions, and for people who are tired of old ways of doing business but who can’t quite visualize a different–and better–way to go. This is the documentary many of us have been waiting for. Shift Change will help to propel a much-needed national conversation about workplace democracy, local ownership, and sustainable community economic development. This practical vision can bridge economic and political divides in our country. The values of democracy, equality and solidarity are not new but they need renewal. Mondragon and other cases profiled in the film are real, and they can point the way to a much broader movement. Support this effort; tell your friends; be a part of the change.”  -George Cheney

“I work in a worker co-op, and whenever I tell people about it they love the idea and wonder why they had never heard of such a business model before. Well, this documentary can be a good step towards fixing that.” -Rodney North

“Gorgeous! Simply beautiful! I love what I see so far. The U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives strongly supports this project.” -Melissa Hoover, Executive Director, U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives

“What an important film at such a key moment on this planet. I can’t wait to see the whole film. Mark and Melissa: you are a give to us all!” -Susan Partnow

“Shift Change is a film for our times! Check it out and spread the word! Kickstart this film to reach all who have lost jobs and inspiration!” -Christie Houston

“Perhaps this is our hope for jobs in the UK, as well as around the world…watch and be inspired.” -Claire Hilary Morris

“Thrilled to see that you landed an interview with Jose Maria Ormaechea, the most accomplished worker cooperator alive (arguably ever). I eagerly await the film!” -Tim Huet

“When my students and I are discussing different types of business organizations, we address organizational mission, structure and function, ownership, and outcomes to various stakeholders. This film promises to be a resource for me in the classroom as students hear about business organizations in which employee ownership, workers’ knowledge of the business and participation in decision making about their jobs are the norm. I look forward to seeing the completed product.” -Daphne Berry

“I was moved to pledge because I am very excited about the idea of cooperatives and promoting this form of business as an important building block of the New Economy we must build. I can’t wait to see the movie and encourage others to see it as well. Also, I appreciate and am grateful for your wonderful work for social and economic justice and want to support its continuation.” -Orna Locker

“I have worked at a 100% employee-owned company for over 15 years and saw what good things employee ownership could do for people on a personal, professional and financial basis. For the last 10 years, I’ve worked at a non-profit outreach center whose mission is to expand employee ownership, because it truly is a better way of doing business – better for workers, better for the company, better for the customers, and better for the community. Shift Change helps spread the word by telling worker-owners’ stories in their own words. With widespread distribution, it will make a difference. I enthusiastically support the film and willingly made a pledge. Please make a pledge and help Mark, Melissa and Tony complete this very worthwhile project.” -Bill McIntyre

Shift Change Producer Melissa Young

Dear friends, cooperators, and supporters,

Maybe you, like me, have felt discouraged about the state of our economy, and the imbalance of political and economic power in the U.S. today. It was this feeling of discouragement and frustration that initially set me on a path to look for concrete, accessible alternatives.

A friend suggested that my partner Mark Dworkin and I learn more about the Mondragon cooperatives, in the Basque country of Spain; when we did, we were moved and inspired. We knew we wanted to do something to spread the word about this successful model of worker-ownership and its potential to change the culture of work—not just in Spain but around the world. We learned that there are hundreds of thriving cooperatives and worker-owned enterprises right here in North America, but that their stories are seldom told. Because Mark and I are filmmakers by profession, we felt that we could help tell those stories, and in doing so help others envision and implement a new economic democracy. We decided to make a film about it.

We are now in the final phases of completing that film, Shift Change: Putting Democracy to Work. It is a project that has been equally grueling and exhilarating; sobering and uplifting; exhausting and encouraging. I’ve been very impressed by the examples I’ve seen of democratically run enterprises in Mondragon and in the U.S. These organizations operate in all sectors—engineering, baking, green house-cleaning, fair-trade food, home healthcare, pharmacies, cab companies, breweries…. They paint a new picture of “work,” creatively and equitably re-imagined.

I know that these stories will change the way that many people think. I believe that the visions of success we are presenting in Shift Change will mobilize people to seek new possibilities in their own workplaces, businesses, communities, and lives.

Like so many of the stories featured in the film, Shift Change itself is a cooperative effort. With your help, we’ll finish the project and show that it is possible to have a successful business where employees have a stake and a say; where decisions are made in a way that benefits local communities and without huge hierarchies and disparities of salary. Employee owned and managed enterprises are not the only solution to many of the difficulties we face, but they demonstrate that it is possible to make a difference, and to contribute toward a society with more equality and fairness—a society of which I will be proud to be a part.

We hope you will let us know about your work and your dreams, and that you’ll help us bring this film to light. Please take a look at our online funding campaign on the website Kickstarter to learn more, leave a comment, and make a contribution: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1287935035/shift-change-putting-democracy-to-work.

Thanks for your help,

Melissa Young

Kickstarter is the world's largest funding platform for creative projects. Learn more about how it works at www.kickstarter.com.

From April 4 – May 4, 2012 we are running a Kickstarter campaign to raise much-needed funds for the completion and distribution of Shift Change: Putting Democracy to Work. Kickstarter is the world’s largest online funding platform for creative projects. Our goal is to raise $30k in 30 days.

We are counting on your support– either by making a financial contribution and/or by spreading the word about the film and the campaign to your networks– to make this ambitious fundraising effort a success.

CLICK HERE TO VISIT OUR KICKSTARTER PAGE AND DONATE NOW >

Below are some tips and resources to help you play a role in bringing this project through the finish line. These tips are meant as a starting point. If you have other ideas or inspirations about how you’d like to help, please contact us. We welcome your enthusiasm and creativity!

How to Support Shift Change on Kickstarter:

1. Make a financial contribution. Donate to Shift Change via the Kickstarter site between 8am (PDT) on April 4 and 8am (PDT) on May 4.
2. Tell everyone you know about Shift Change on Kickstarter (see our social media resources below for advice and samples).
3. Make sure you are connected with us via email, Facebook, and Twitter, to receive the latest updates, news, and additional tips.

Social Media Tips

1. “Share” posts from Shift Change: Putting Democracy to Work on your Facebook page. Remember to include a comment about why you support Shift Change.
2. “Retweet” updates from Shift Change on Twitter. Be sure to include the hashtags #coops, #worker-owned, and #democracy.
3. “Forward” emails from Moving Images (non-profit production company behind Shift Change). Send them to your friends, colleagues, and organizational mailing lists. Click here to join our mailing list if you aren’t already on it.
4. “Like” or “Tweet” the Shift Change preview video. Both on our Kickstarter page and here on our website.
5. “Pin” Shift Change photos and videos to your Pinterest boards.
6. Blog about Shift Change. Use your personal blog to announce your support for the Kickstarter campaign and the importance of completing this film.

Sample Tweets and Status Updates

Use the sample tweets below to tell your Twitter followers that you are a fan of Shift Change.

[Sample Tweet #1]   I just donated to @Shift_Change on Kickstarter. Join me. http://tinyurl.com/cdvjll5 #coops

[Sample Tweet #2]  I support this inspiring Kickstarter project: http://tinyurl.com/cdvjll5 #coops #democracy

[Sample Tweet #3]  Please support @Shift_Change on Kickstarter. http://tinyurl.com/cdvjll5 #coops

Use the sample Facebook status updates to tell your friends and fans.

[Sample Facebook Status #1]   Please join me in supporting an important and inspiring new documentary film: http://tinyurl.com/cdvjll5

[Sample Facebook Status #2]    I just contributed to a Kickstarter campaign in support of the new film Shift Change: Putting Democracy to Work. Please consider donating. http://tinyurl.com/cdvjll5

[Sample Facebook Status #3]    I’m so excited about the new film, Shift Change: Putting Democracy to Work! Learn more about it here: http://tinyurl.com/cdvjll5

Resources

Use these links to promote Shift Change to your networks in whatever way makes the most sense for you.

Link to Shift Change preview video: https://shiftchange.org/new-a-sneak-peek-at-shift-change/

Link to Shift Change Kickstarter page: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1287935035/shift-change-putting-democracy-to-work

Link to Shift Change Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/shiftchangemovie

Link to Shift Change on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/Shift_Change

Link to Shift Change Enews Signup Page: https://shiftchange.org/contact/

Shift Change Logo / Web Banner

Post our logo as a banner on your website / blog / social networks. Be sure to link the banner to www.shiftchange.org.

Member-Owners of the Mondragon Cooperative Corporation. Photo by Comercio y Justicia.

This month, Rebuild the Dream is taking a look at a few of the amazing ways people in our communities are coming together to create local economies that empower the 99%.

We call these initiatives the American Dream 2.0 because they are providing a totally revamped way to look at our values as a nation as well as our role in creating the world we want to live in.

In part 2 of the American Dream 2.0 series, we take a closer look at worker-owned cooperatives — businesses owned and operated by the workers. While there are several models for ownership and management of worker cooperatives, the essential question is whether they can prove to be a viable solution to joblessness and economic disparity.

It’s not so far-fetched. In fact, it’s already happened….

Read the complete article >