A panel discussion about the benefits and challenges that immigrant workers face in forming their own cooperative businesses

Immigrant workers, many of whom are undocumented, are some of the most exploited workers in the United States. Immigrants are consistently overrepresented in low-wage, physically taxing jobs that offer few, if any, benefits. And because over 11 million immigrants living in the U.S. don't have permission to work legally, they are often the victims of wage theft, discrimination, and uncompensated workplace injuries without any reasonable means of recourse.

Worker cooperatives provide a ready alternative for foreign nationals to break away from the chains of exploitation in the workplace. Learn about the practical realities of immigrant owned cooperatives at SELC's teach-in on Tuesday, August 18th from 6:00 - 7:30pm at the Alchemy Collective Cafe in Berkeley. At the teach-in, we’ll hear from a panel of worker-owners and cooperative developers about the particular benefits and challenges that immigrant workers face in forming their own cooperative businesses. You’ll also hear about why these entrepreneurs chose to start or become members of worker cooperatives.

A major objective of worker owned businesses is to provide alternatives for those most exploited in the workplace. Worker cooperatives do this by creating more stable and worker-directed jobs that promote community wealth and worker education. Across the country, immigrant owned cooperative businesses are sprouting up in some of the most traditionally exploitative industries like construction, house cleaning, and home care! At this teach-in we will get a chance to hear from some of the people who have been involved in the creation of these businesses in the Bay Area.

Panelist information coming soon!

This teach-in will be facilitated by Cyndi Malasky, a SELC Cooperatives Program Summer Intern and rising cooperative developer. Cyndi got her first taste of cooperative life as a part of the Oberlin Student Coop Association where she spent three years as a member of housing and dining cooperatives. After graduating she moved to Nicaragua and spent two years with Witness for Peace where she worked to change corporate and consumer practices as well as U.S. policies that contribute to poverty and oppression in Nicaragua and Honduras.