Good News Friday: Bootstrap jobs create wealth in Cleveland

OCSEA workers march for worker rights in Ohio

Ohio. The governor and legislature plan to outlaw collective bargaining, and they're doing it on steroids. Not only would their regressive bill, expected to pass any day now, stamp out collective bargaining to all public employees, but workers who strike would face prison time. That's just plain un-American.

Evergreen Cooperative sparks hope

The bad news gets worse, but there's hope. In Cleveland, the Evergreen Cooperative shares good news today: Through worker-owned businesses there, low and no-income workers are getting a chance to pull themselves up by the bootstraps and, in time, create wealth for themselves and their families

Who knows, they just might earn their way from poverty to tax brackets so high they might not have to pay taxes any more.

Imagine the possibilities when workers know their bottom line is directly affected by their participation. But hey, we don't have to imagine it. Take a look.

Tested model can be replicated

Did you notice in the vid that the Cooperative brought this model from Spain where it's already been tested? If they can show it can work in the Heartland, what's to stop other communities across the country from rolling it out at home?

Hope in Ohio. That's cause for celebration, and I'm singin' my happy song. What about you? Got something to sing about today?

Image courtesy Ohio Civil Service Employees Association (OCSEA)

__

We make peace in a million small ways every day.

All text and images, unless otherwise noted, copyright L. Kathryn Grace. All rights reserved.