From the USFWC
Registration for the upcoming national worker cooperative conference opens in mid-March. In the meantime, take a look at our gorgeous conference website for lots of information!
Speakers and Workshops
We have confirmed that Congressman Chaka Fattah from Philadelphia, the sponsor of the National Cooperative Development Act, will give our keynote address on Friday, June 22. In the spirit of the UN International Year of Cooperatives, we are also pleased to welcome several international guests, who will join us to share stories of their worker cooperative movements. We are still confirming final guests and will publish a full list soon. The two day-long conference will feature over 30 workshops on everything from practical sharing of skills to movement-building discussions, to opportunities to actually do business with one another. We have selected about 75% of the sessions. In the next week we will post more sessions, along with descriptions and schedules. Check back for more info!
Cooperative Development Intensive
MIT CoLab and USFWC convene an ongoing discussion about worker cooperative development. Hearing a real need for continued discussion about worker cooperative development and the explosion of new development projects, we are convening a daylong intensive discussion on Friday, June 22. This intensive will happen in addition to the main conference, for a small additional fee. It is aimed at cooperative developers, cooperative federations, community groups and individuals supporting cooperative development, and anyone who is interested in advancing the dialogue and practice of developing worker cooperatives. The Development Intensive will be hosted at MIT in conjunction with the MIT CoLab. More details to come soon.
Community Picnic and Party
Meet the Boston cooperative community in Jamaica Plain. Saturday night we will host a community picnic and party in Jamaica Plain. The picnic happens in the park next to the Stony Brook T stop. The party continues that night at Spontaneous Celebrations a block away, where we'll have live music, DJs, a games room for kids and adults, beverages for all ages, cupcakes, and lots more.
Sponsor the Conference!
We expect over 300 people from around the country to attend the conference. This is a great chance to get your name out there - whether you're a cooperative, a support organization, a consultant, a lender, a funder, or a friend. We depend on sponsors to keep the conference affordable and accessible to as many people as possible. Please consider sponsoring part of the conference. Your sponsorship will help:
- Provide 20-25 scholarships, focused on developing leadership in USFWC members.
- Support Spanish/English interpretation for an anticipated 30-40 primary Spanish speaking attendees
- Keep attendance affordable, with discounted registration for up to 75 Boston area community members
Ringmaster - $2000 or more.
Free conference registration for 2, large ad in the program.
High-flying trapeze artist - $1000 or more.
Free conference registration for 1, medium ad in the program.
Tightrope walker - $500 or more.
Discounted conference registration for 1, small ad in the program.
Acrobat - Any amount.
Your name on the sponsor list and signage.
All sponsors will be showered with dazzling smiles and effusive thanks, in print, in person and online. You can also choose to sponsor a speaker, a coffee break, a workshop track, or the Saturday night community picnic. In return for your event-based sponsorship, we'll post signage and include your personal or cooperative name in the promotional materials. Email melissa@usworker.coop to sponsor.
