Maximalism

https://maximalismo.blog/ia-trabajo-sociedad-corto-plazo

Diez años después de la victoria de AlphaGo sobre Lee Sedol, herramientas de IA capaces de escribir software, automatizar tareas administrativas y crear nuevos productos digitales están cambiando la organización del trabajo, las expectativas de los mercados y la escala necesaria para emprender. Analizamos cómo la IA cambiará el trabajo y la sociedad a corto plazo, desde el auge del «vibe coding» y la automatización del trabajo de oficina hasta sus efectos sobre el capital, la productividad y los riesgos morales y militares en una sociedad cada vez más mediada por la inteligencia artificial.

https://maximalismo.blog/cooperativas-funerarias-union-europea

En Francia, Italia, Bélgica o España, las cooperativas funerarias en Europa están transformando los servicios funerarios con un modelo basado en la transparencia, la participación comunitaria, la sostenibilidad y los precios asequibles. Frente a un mercado tradicional marcado por la opacidad y el alto coste de los funerales, estas iniciativas ofrecen funerales más accesibles, personalizados y sostenibles, fortalecen la economía local y devuelven a las personas la soberanía sobre el último adiós. Cada vez más comunidades apuestan por esta alternativa cooperativa que une dignidad, comunidad y democratización del funeral.

https://maximalism.blog/the-21st-century-we-deserve-is-being-born-in-rural-areas

In a village in the extreme southwest of Europe, we are building a community that combines free knowledge, cooperatives, open technology, and rural repopulation. Around the Juan Urrutia Library—driven by the Center for Maximalist Studies, the Maximalist Company S.Coop., and the Repopulation Foundation—an ecosystem is taking shape where living, working, and learning are all part of the same project. We invite you to get to know us, to become a part of it, and... to contribute.

https://www.laizquierdadiario.cl/Ante-falta-de-soluciones-los-trabajadores-evaluan-conformar-una-cooperativa

The Beriso factory in La Plata closed without paying wages, social security contributions, or severance pay. Today, the workers are planning to form a cooperative to restart production.

https://www.gasteizhoy.com/seis-cooperativas-alavesas-con-1-500-trabajadores-se-unen-por-un-futuro-mas-sostenible-y-justo/

Six industrial cooperatives in Álava, employing over 1,500 workers, have joined together to form the Batera association. The network includes RPK, i+Med, Udapa, Loramendi, Aurrenak, and Goros. They aim to "combine their capabilities to strengthen the cooperative model as an engine of economic and social development in the region."

https://vientosur.info/pueden-las-cooperativas-salvar-a-las-y-los-trabajadores/

“For the CGT, in these companies acquired by cooperatives, it is often the cooperative itself, which has saved jobs, that must be defended. The failure to recognize the divisions that affect wage earners hinders the political subjectivity of subordinate workers and can lead to disengagement from activism. In fact, this devalues certain union practices that were previously valued in the workplace, such as confronting the boss or management, which provided social recognition for workers. Material demands are also devalued in this context, and different wage relationships are imposed based on one's position in the production process. The demand for a wage increase, important for subordinate workers, is less so for union leaders and managers, who prioritize defending the cooperative.”

https://nonprofitquarterly.org/growing-a-solidarity-economy/

"As Mondragón has transformed its regional economy, its worker-members have faced real challenges in upholding cooperative principles. This includes the hiring of non-owner wage earners and the establishment of non-cooperative subsidiaries outside of Spain, according to a report by researchers Ignacio Bretos and Anjel Errasti."

"These challenges will affect the United States even more severely, where almost every way people meet their needs (food, energy, health care) depends on extraction from other parts of the world."

https://coceta.coop/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Informe-El-Valor-Coop-2025.pdf

"Worker cooperatives represent around 77% of the new cooperatives created in the last decade, consolidating themselves as the main avenue for collective self-employment in Spain. Cooperatives integrate women, young people and people with lower levels of qualification to a greater extent, and have a greater presence in rural areas and intermediate cities, contributing to territorial cohesion and the fight against depopulation."

https://www.scottishfinancialnews.com/articles/glasgow-salmon-producer-secures-future-via-employee-ownership-trust

Under the EOT structure, the company is now owned by a trust that holds the shares on behalf of all employees. Day-to-day operations will continue to be managed by the current leadership team. CEO Mary Bisset will remain at the helm, having been with the company for over 20 years and serving as CEO for eight years.

She stated, "This is a positive step for Marine Products. We wanted an ownership model that would protect the company's legacy while also providing the best possible platform for the future."

Employee ownership achieves precisely that: it maintains the company's independence, enables long-term decision-making, and recognizes that our people are fundamental to our success. Employees know this company best, and this structure puts them at the heart of protecting its future.

https://wheatley.byu.edu/the-dating-recession

A recent survey of young adults by the Institute for Family Studies and the Wheatley Institute at Brigham Young University found that only 30 percent of respondents were actively dating, even though roughly half of them indicated they were interested in finding a relationship. They cited a lack of confidence in what researchers termed "dating efficacy": fewer than 40 percent believed they were attractive to potential partners or felt comfortable discussing their feelings with them. Only about a quarter felt confident approaching a potential partner or in their ability to remain positive after a dating setback—a rejection, a bad date, or a breakup. If trends continue, one in three adults currently in their 20s and 30s will never marry, contributing to an epidemic of loneliness that is already generationally acute.

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2516885-ais-cant-stop-recommending-nuclear-strikes-in-war-game-simulations/

The top AIs from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google chose to use nuclear weapons in simulated war games in 95 percent of cases.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/03/well/pet-longevity-health-benefits.html

Studies show that owning a pet is associated with lower blood pressure, a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, and lower mortality rates following a heart attack or stroke. Furthermore, a comprehensive review of studies published in 2019 revealed that owning a dog was associated with a 24% lower risk of dying from any cause within 10 years.

https://www.ft.com/content/bf998c69-ab46-4fa3-aae4-8f18f7387836

“Nearly all of Tehran’s traffic cameras had been hacked for years, their images encrypted and transmitted to servers in Tel Aviv and southern Israel, according to two people familiar with the matter. One camera had an angle that proved particularly useful, one of the people said, allowing them to determine where the men liked to park their personal cars and providing a window into the workings of a mundane part of the zealously guarded complex. Complex algorithms added details to the files of these security guards, including their addresses, working hours, the routes they took to get to work, and, most importantly, whom they were typically assigned to protect and transport, creating what intelligence officers call a ‘life pattern.’”

https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2026/02/25/if-capitalism-is-failing-does-cooperation-come-next/

"We begin with the obvious reality that some sectors of the modern economy no longer generate public benefits. I mentioned the technology monopolies that now dominate communications and information. They depend on our data, our labor, our creativity, and yet they operate outside of any meaningful democratic control. They shape policy, distort markets, and extract rents from society without providing proportionate value."

John's point was that this outcome is not accidental. It stems from the way capitalism has been structured over the last half-century. The modern corporation is designed to maximize shareholder returns. This idea was reinforced by economists like Milton Friedman and Michael Jensen, who insisted that directors have no responsibility beyond profits. Once this doctrine is accepted, everything else follows: wage cuts, investment reductions, the creation of monopolies, and the relentless pursuit of short-term gains.

That's capitalism as we know it now. And it doesn't work.

But what struck me most about our conversation was how quickly we moved from criticism to alternatives. John reminded us that cooperatives and mutual societies are not a fringe curiosity. They have existed for centuries, and modern cooperative movements were born here in Britain. Thinkers like Robert Owen and John Stuart Mill saw them as practical ways to combine efficiency and equity.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/27/us/politics/anthropic-military-ai.html

Shortly after Trump's announcement, and 13 minutes after the Pentagon's deadline, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth designated the company a "supply chain and national security risk." This designation means that no contractor or supplier working with the military can do business with Anthropic. Later on Friday, OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, announced that it had reached an agreement with the Department of Defense to provide its AI technology for classified systems.

In a statement, Anthropic asserted, “We maintained our exceptions for two reasons. First, we do not believe that current cutting-edge AI models are reliable enough to be used in fully autonomous weapons. Allowing current models to be used in this way would endanger American combatants and civilians. Second, we believe that mass surveillance of Americans at home constitutes a violation of fundamental rights.”

https://beta.dol.gov/research-data/report/employee-ownership-initiative-report-congress

According to a report from the Department of Labor to the US Congress:

Employee ownership is present in every state in the country, with ESOPs being the most widespread form. Worker cooperatives and employee-owned trusts, while few in number, are forming at a faster rate. Over the past half-century, the number of ESOPs has increased from a few hundred in 1975 to 6,525 plans in 2023. (3) Based on Form 5500 data filed for plan years ending in 2023 (the latest available), these plans cover more than 15 million participants and hold an estimated $2 trillion in assets (including company securities and other retirement plan assets). Large ESOPs (those with 100 or more participants) generated $160.6 billion in direct benefit payments in 2023.

https://www.money.pl/gospodarka/bez-wiedzy-i-kwalifikacji-szykuja-sie-rewolucyjne-zmiany-w-spoldzielniach-7256037587601792a.html

The Polish government's new housing cooperative bill mandates that all members of the Social Council hold a university degree. Anyone still expecting a protest, even a formal one from the ICA, can forget it. Official cooperatives are dominated by professionalized bureaucrats who find it perfectly acceptable to restrict the rights of cooperative members in favor of their peers on the path to professionalization.

https://www.constructionenquirer.com/2026/02/19/employee-owned-kilnbridge-delivers-record-year/

The group recorded a 50% increase in turnover to £129 million in the year to June 2025 thanks to HS2's jobs, business and energy plans.

A backlog of £300 million (2024: £200 million) now supports the next phase of growth, giving the business strong visibility over the next year as it moves forward in the data center, transport and nuclear energy markets.

The improved performance resulted in £349,000 being distributed among all eligible employees in the fourth and highest profit-sharing payout since the transition to an employee-owned group in March 2021.

https://www.citriniresearch.com/p/2028gic?triedRedirect=truehide_intro_popup=true

Throughout modern economic history, human intelligence has been the scarce input. Capital was abundant (or at least replicable). Natural resources were finite, but replaceable. Technology improved slowly enough for humans to adapt. Intelligence—the capacity to analyze, decide, create, persuade, and coordinate—was what could not be replicated on a large scale.

Human intelligence derived its inherent value from its scarcity. All the institutions of our economy, from the labor market to the mortgage market and the tax code, were designed for a world in which that premise held true.

We are now witnessing the erosion of that premium. Artificial intelligence has become a competent and rapidly improving substitute for human intelligence in an ever-expanding range of tasks. The financial system, optimized for decades for a world with scarce human minds, is being revalued. This revaluation is painful, messy, and far from complete.

But revaluation is not the same as collapse.

The economy can find a new equilibrium. Achieving this is one of the few tasks that only humans can accomplish. We need to do it right.

This is the first time in history that the economy's most productive asset has generated fewer jobs, not more. No framework fits, because none were designed for a world where a scarce input has become abundant. Therefore, we have to create new frameworks. The only question that matters is whether we build them in time.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/maryjosephs/2026/02/17/employee-ownership-whats-not-to-love/

This Forbes article marks a paradigm shift in the American business press by elevating employee ownership from a niche topic to a central discussion in the business world, questioning why it isn't a more universally adopted option. It signals a break from the perception of employee ownership as a fringe alternative, positioning it instead as a viable strategic solution to various business challenges.

https://agenziagiornalisticaopinione.it/opinionmix/regione-veneto-cooperative-di-comunita-workers-buyout-e-comunita-energetiche-bitonci-incontra-confcooperative/

The Italian region of Veneto wants to accelerate the regionalization of laws that facilitate the purchase of companies in economic or succession crisis by their own workers.

https://talkbusiness.net/2026/01/lexicon-announces-transition-to-employee-ownership/

Founded in 1968, Lexicon, with 3,000 permanent employees, is headquartered in Arkansas. It is now 100% employee-owned.

https://www.mckinsey.com/about-us/new-at-mckinsey-blog/from-principles-to-practice-how-mckinsey-is-helping-ownership-works-scale-employee-ownership

McKinsey & Company, the quintessential global consulting firm, is collaborating with Ownership Works to "scale the worker ownership model, bringing worker ownership to a broader and more strategic implementation across the enterprise." Whenever we hear the name of one of the Big Four, we clutch our wallets... and our hearts.

https://www.printweek.com/content/news/ds-group-becomes-employee-owned

"Clacton-on-Sea-based printer DS Group has handed the reins back to its staff as the company has become wholly employee-owned. DS Group officially became an employee-owned trust on 1 December 2025, marking a significant milestone in the printing and mailing company's 25-year history."

https://www.businessdoncaster.co.uk/news/pacy-wheatley-becomes-employee-owned/

"Doncaster, UK, January 15, 2026. Doncaster-based Pacy & Wheatley is one of the UK's oldest family-owned construction groups. The company undertakes large-scale building projects across a range of sectors, including care homes and commercial and residential developments. Its specialist acoustics division works with global brands, while its interiors division executes major interior design contracts for leading retail chains, hospitals, and national storage solution providers."

https://24noticias.sapo.pt/atualidade/artigos/sem-seguranca-e-sem-perspetiva-saida-do-estado-da-cases-inquieta-trabalhadores

Since Costa passed a cooperative law dictated by the ICA, eliminating worker cooperatives, and imposed the discourse of the "Social Economy" as an alternative to the centrality of worker-owned cooperatives, this prospect was inevitable, and we denounced it as such. Portugal needs its own maximalist cooperative movement.

https://maximalism.blog/the-fever

«The Fever» is, without a doubt, the best series of 2024 and will probably be remembered as one of the three best series about politics of the last 25 years

https://maximalism.blog/resilience-and-cooperativism

Cooperatives build the resilience of human communities that are very different from each other and this is because, when needs and commitment to a cause come together, we need to have at our disposal a mechanical element that allows us to respond and scale up a communitarian response as quickly as possible.

https://maximalism.blog/scic-collective-interest-cooperatives

The SCICs (Cooperative Societies of Collective Interest) in France, the «Steward Ownership» models in Germany and those based on «Assets in Common» in the USA are the spearhead of a new productive cooperativism in which workers share or cede ownership to other agents.

https://maximalism.blog/ngi

An open letter to the European Commission published by «Petites Singularités»

https://maximalism.blog/history-passivity

The growth of social passivity since the late 1980s has been a consequence of the devaluation of work. The first Internet began to reverse passivity, but through social networks it ended up multiplying it until it became the air of the ultra-individualized world we now live in. But what if communicating not mediated by the pillars of passivity were not as difficult as we think?

https://maximalism.blog/islands-in-the-net

Thirty-six years ago, Bruce Sterling's «Islands in the Net» expressed for the first time the dream of a transnational cooperativism capable of offering its members an alternative that would simultaneously address the erosion of social cohesion that was then emerging under Reagan and Thatcher and the fracture, growing steadily since the post-war period, between the general conditions of life and access to resources and knowledge in the most capitalized countries and the rest of the world.

https://maximalism.blog/diet-moral-politics

Are you a better person for not eating meat, and does dietary restriction make you more progressive or more ‘sensitive’? There is a long history behind attaching morality to diet. It is a history that should be known because what if, in reality, what is truly immoral is, for example, veganism?

https://maximalism.blog/estrategy-challenges

Work and management that is based on tackling challenges sustains the types of incentives and logic that mobilize efforts and encourage workers to take the courageous leap to become a cooperative. Workers thus derive happiness from contributing and from being able to produce the extraordinary.

https://maximalism.blog/new-cooperativism

The term «New Cooperativism» has been used in academia since 2010 to define cooperative initiatives that go beyond the hegemonic model of the ICA and which promote new forms of cooperativism based on commons that prefigure «post-capitalist» relationships.

https://maximalism.blog/maximalist-principles

The foundation of Communalia's cooperative model are laid out in the seven Maximalist Cooperative Principles. We go back to the origins and principles of workers cooperativism and we go forward by embracing the new universal commons and by striving to contribute to the global challenges of Humanity in this day and age.

https://maximalism.blog/radical-cooperativism

What is «radical cooperativism»? What does the debate in the US bring to table and to the future of cooperatives?

https://maximalism.blog/second-maximalist-congress

Manifesto of the Second Maximalist Congress, which we will hold after the summer heat. The manifestos of our congresses are a call to participation and, at the same time, a kind of "framework document," seeking to provide a global and historical context for our tasks and objectives, serving as a basis for coordination between maximalist cooperatives and NGOs.

https://www.thenews.coop/worker-co-ops-rising-in-the-usa/

In the US, worker cooperatives have grown by 34% since 2020 and have more than doubled their number of workers. There are now over 1,300 cooperatives with 16,000 workers.

Puerto Rico now claims to be the root of the American cooperative movement and highlights the value of its legislation compared to the Spanish model.

“We had the first cooperative in America,” he says. “Cooperatives came to Puerto Rico thanks to the Spanish, and Catholics created a cooperative in every municipality. Now, on my way to take my children to school, I pass by about 20 cooperatives. They’re everywhere. Here, you can’t grow up without knowing that cooperatives exist.”

https://ssir.org/articles/entry/artificial-intelligence-solidarity-ecosystem

Stanford University shows "How cooperatives, public institutions and social movements can come together to intentionally build a practical and community-based alternative to extractive AI systems."

https://corporateknights.com/issues/2026-01-distributed-economy-issue/employee-ownership-model-races-the-clock-in-canada/

According to the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses, 76% of Canadian small business owners plan to sell their businesses in the next decade, most to retire. Approximately $2 trillion in business assets could change hands. However, only 10% of these owners have a succession plan. Some businesses will close, others will be sold to management, to a third party, or acquired by private equity. The magnitude of this shift could significantly affect the country's business landscape and have a lasting impact on Canadian workers and communities.

https://fortworthinc.com/news/paragon-sports-constructors-becomes-100-employee-owned-throu/

"The company said it has recorded year-over-year growth for nearly 16 consecutive years and now joins approximately 6,300 ESOP companies nationwide, representing around 10.7 million active employee-owners."

https://brooklyneagle.com/365568/bike-plant-reopens-as-worker-cooperative-will-maintain-social-mission-commitment/

New York City has a "Worker Cooperative Business Development Initiative" that assists and funds the transition from capital ownership to labor ownership. Thanks to this, Brooklyn has not lost its bike shop and workshop. The opening of this new cooperative phase was a huge neighborhood celebration with local media and politicians in attendance.

https://www.lesechos.fr/pme-regions/provence-alpes-cote-dazur/avec-scop-ti-les-ex-fralib-font-revivre-leurs-thes-2213326

"Eleven years after its creation on the ashes of the former Eléphants tea factory, owned by Unilever, the cooperative company in Gémenos, near Marseille, has found its balance producing for large retailers."

https://hbr.org/2026/02/the-management-practices-that-make-employee-ownership-pay-off

"While widespread ownership is not new, a recent boom led by private equity has transformed it into a powerful economic force. Since 2022, more than $1.3 billion has been distributed to 41,000 non-executive employees, with projections exceeding $20 billion over the next decade."

"The payoff is mutual. Preliminary data from the nonprofit organization Ownership Works shows that operations with ownership programs achieved a return on invested capital (ROIC) 1.6 times higher than the market median. These programs drive operational improvements, from expanding margins to reducing employee turnover, by unlocking the code of the ownership mindset."

https://www.roofingcontractor.com/articles/101739-advanced-roofing-becomes-employee-owned-as-esop-takes-effect

Not a day goes by without a leading company in a US state being bought by its own workers, who gain not only a voice and a vote, but also control of the results and a retirement plan unaffordable by other means.

The company, founded in 1983, stated that it is now structured as an Employee Social Participation Plan (ESOP), which grants eligible team members a stake in the company in addition to existing retirement benefits. Advanced Roofing indicated that this change is designed to strengthen shared responsibility across the organization, from field teams to project managers and support staff, while maintaining leadership and daily operations.

“This milestone seeks to secure the future of the company and honor those who built it,” said Rob Kornahrens, founder and CEO of the Advanced family of companies. “Employee ownership allows us to stay true to our identity: independent, customer-centric, and committed to long-term relationships.”

https://murciaplaza.com/murciaplaza/empresas-murcia/las-cooperativas-crearan-mas-de-2000-puestos-de-trabajo-en-la-region-durante-este-2026

Throughout 2025, 123 cooperatives were created, 12 percent more than the previous year, and 2,947 new jobs associated with cooperatives, which is equivalent to 17 percent of the total new jobs in the community.

https://armoneyandpolitics.com/lexicon-employee-owned-status/

Lexicon Inc., Arkansas's largest steel mill, is taken over by its workers

https://lanticapitaliste.org/opinions/entreprises/une-campagne-de-solidarite-internationale-pour-soutenir-le-projet

The worker-led struggle for the ecological re-industrialization project at the GKN factory in Florence is receiving a significant international solidarity campaign. This initiative represents an emerging tension and a potential paradigm shift, as it elevates the workers' struggle from local resistance to a global model of sustainable industrial transformation, uniting worker ownership with ecological imperatives in a pioneering way.

https://www.polity.org.za/article/worker-cooperatives-and-deep-democracy-transformative-politics-and-planetary-care-from-below-2026-01-27

"The left has failed to inspire a practical challenge to the planetary crisis of capitalism that has upended nature and society. This book outlines a new transformative politics that emerges from workers' cooperative systems that promote planetary care from below and have the potential to undermine the capitalist status quo."

“The crisis of capitalism is planetary. It is a system that disrupts nature and society, causing many to live and work in despair. Until now, the left has been unable to pose a practical challenge to it. In ‘Worker Cooperatives and Deep Democracy,’ Vishwas Satgar and Michelle Williams outline a new transformative politics that emerges from inspiring worker cooperative systems that promote planetary care from below and have the potential to undermine the capitalist status quo.”

"Based on extensive research in 15 countries, the authors examine case studies that explore transformative approaches to social reproduction, public power, nature protection, and territorial expansion in opposition to global hegemonic power. They also reveal the power of solidarities to generate emancipatory and utopian imaginaries in the global north and south."

"Satgar and Williams show how, against all odds, people are experimenting with deep democracy and building care systems to live differently and emerge from the planetary crisis."

https://www.lastampa.it/novara/2026/01/29/news/proposta_momo_cooperativa_salvare_cartiera-15486099/

The assembly of workers at Momo - a well-known Italian paper mill in crisis - is proposing the purchase of the company by the workers.

https://www.lavozdegalicia.es/noticia/carballo/zas/2026/01/12/colectivo-xebre-transforma-cooperativa-trabajo-asociado/0003_202601C12C1995.htm

"Colectivo Xebre was until now an agricultural cooperative. It was made up of members from the municipalities of Coristanco, Malpica, A Laracha and Zas who joined together solely to sell the harvests from their respective orchards. Some time ago, the group moved all its activity to Fornelos, in the municipality of Zas, leaving their own plots inactive."

"Since 2017, the group has had a stall in the Lugo market in A Coruña, where it sells a large part of its production. Other important outlets for the products are collective canteens, mainly in educational centers of the Costa da Morte and also in large companies."

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/28/japan/society/worker-cooperatives-rural-japan/

"In sparsely populated areas across Japan, the withdrawal of supermarkets and other businesses has jeopardized essential services vital to the daily lives of residents."

"To address this problem, some local governments are turning to resident-run non-profit organizations, known as 'worker cooperatives,' as new local service providers."

"In these cooperatives, the residents themselves plan, develop, and manage the services their communities need, with the support of local government subsidies to cover initial and operating costs. The Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry is also working to create a framework that will make it easier for these organizations to obtain financial assistance and other forms of support."

https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/businessreview/2026/01/19/if-worker-co-operatives-work-why-arent-there-more-of-them/

He responds that it is a market failure based on erroneous beliefs.

"Taken together, these results point to a belief-based explanation for the limited diffusion of employee ownership. Even when alternative organizational forms function well, distorted perceptions can discourage people from participating in them and reduce political support. In this sense, the scarcity of worker cooperatives may reflect not only economic factors, but also a kind of market failure in information and belief formation."

"This perspective has important implications. If pessimistic beliefs are part of the problem, low-cost informational interventions, especially those based on credible evidence and expert input, can play a significant role in changing attitudes. Young people, in particular, seem receptive to such information at a stage when their career expectations are still evolving."

https://natlawreview.com/article/rising-case-esops-powerful-and-time-tested-succession-alternative-growing-support

The growing support in Washington and the private sector for Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) as a business succession alternative indicates an institutionalization and validation of employee stock ownership mechanisms in the US. This news is significant because it shows a paradigm shift where ESOPs, a form of employee ownership, are gaining legislative and corporate traction as a structural solution to the business succession crisis.

https://www.alliancemagazine.org/analysis/consider-an-employee-ownership-fund/

The article argues that employee ownership funds in the US are a significant way to generate a positive impact on daily life, proposing the adoption of ownership models where employees have a direct stake. This highlights the social value and direct impact on well-being as a growing driver for employee ownership, beyond purely financial or business succession benefits. Promoting these funds aims to institutionalize or scale up the employee ownership model as a socially responsible and effective solution.

https://lbmjournal.com/mead-lumber-celebrates-25-years-of-employee-ownership/

“When Mead Lumber embarked on its journey toward employee ownership 25 years ago, no one could have predicted the impact it would have on our people and our future,” said Dave Anderson, president and CEO of Mead Lumber. “We are proud that more than 30 of those first employee-owners are still with us today. Their commitment, along with that of our new employee-owners, has forged a culture of trust, service, and shared success. Our story demonstrates that when employees are truly invested in the business, everyone wins.”

This milestone will be celebrated at all 53 locations in nine states, where employees will gather for events, team meals, and to hear from the more than 30 current employees who were part of the first group of employee owners 25 years ago. Employee ownership has brought long-term benefits to Mead Lumber and its people.

https://athenspoliticsnerd.com/employee-ownership-cooperatives-can-help-business-owners/

In the US, strategic tax tools to facilitate business succession in local businesses are being debated and approved at both the state and federal levels. The connection between tax benefits and business continuity through employee ownership is the result of an institutional shift toward adopting EOT/WBO models as the preferred solution for business succession in SMEs.

https://www.lattacco.it/it/societa/55-mondi-vitali/48321-rinascita-industriale-a-manfredonia-coopla-green-un-esempio-virtuoso-di-worker-buyout

This acquisition by the workers, organized as a worker cooperative, demonstrates a viable mechanism to prevent the closure of regional industries and preserve operational knowledge, marking a paradigm shift in the management of business crises in southern Italy.

https://www.pavaglionelugo.it/martedi-21-ottobre-a-ravenna-un-seminario-sulla-cooperazione-per-salvare-le-imprese-senza-successori/

A seminar in Ravenna focused on transforming businesses into worker cooperatives to maintain and develop companies without successors. A paradigm shift in succession crisis management is taking place across Europe, elevating cooperation to a practical economic policy tool. We are witnessing a wave of new cooperatives formed from existing companies at risk.

https://www.gazetevatan.com/galeri/turkiyeye-ornek-olacak-cocuk-dostu-kooperatif-modeli-kadinlar-esnek-calisma-saatleriyle-70-yeni-kisiye-is-kapisi-acacak-2315520

Hemdem, a women-led production and business cooperative based in Sultanbeyli, Istanbul, is growing thanks to a project supported by the European Union (EU) and Turkey's Ministry of Industry and Technology. The cooperative brings together local housewives and refugee women to "keep social harmony alive in the kitchen." With flexible working hours and a child-friendly environment, Hemdem employs 45 women and, thanks to an EU grant, acquired a cookie-making machine to increase its production capacity.

https://nealesvou.gr/synetairismoi-an-ochi-emeis-pou-paragoume-tote-poioi/

This Greek article directly challenges the traditional ownership paradigm and underscores the productive autonomy of cooperatives. This challenge is significant in an environment where there is a push to redefine labor relations and the value generated, potentially pointing toward a consolidation or expansion of the cooperative model as a structural alternative in Greece.

https://www.arte.tv/fr/videos/120879-009-A/arte-regards/

The dissemination of documentaries, especially through significant media platforms such as ARTE, about the transformation of a factory into a cooperative in Italy, points to a cultural validation and a potential driver of awareness for the cooperative work model as an alternative to traditional business structures in crisis.

https://www.constructionnews.co.uk/financial/profit-doubles-at-gilbert-ash-ahead-of-switch-to-employee-ownership-01-10-2025/

The fact that a company doubled its profits just before the transition is significant, as it combats skepticism about the economic viability of these models. This could encourage other established companies to consider employee transfer as a proactive strategy for optimization and value retention.

https://www.agcc.co.uk/news-article/space-solutions-announces-move-to-employee-ownership

Space Solutions, UK, announces its transition to employee ownership. The change in ownership at an advanced services company suggests a growing trend in the private sector to retain talent and ensure business continuity through models alternative to traditional sale. Adopting employee ownership structures is increasingly becoming a common succession strategy in mid-sized companies.

https://www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/content/employee-ownership-ireland-roadshows

Employee Ownership Ireland Roadshows: Ireland is actively promoting employee ownership through "roadshows," a coordinated effort to foster this business model as a viable economic strategy, not just a niche. This initiative in Ireland signals a broader movement in Europe toward the institutionalization of collective ownership models as a response to business succession and the pursuit of greater economic resilience. Active promotion by government bodies indicates that employee ownership is transitioning from a fringe option to a serious economic policy tool.

https://www.mondaq.com/unitedstates/employee-rights-labour-relations/1688966/the-rising-case-for-esops-a-powerful-and-time-tested-succession-alternative-with-growing-support-in-washington-and-the-private-sector

"According to an independent study, young adults working at companies with ESOPs have an average household net worth 92% higher and salary income 33% higher than their peers at companies without ESOPs. Employees also stay with the company longer: companies with ESOPs have lower turnover, were three to four times more likely to retain staff during COVID-19, and show lower bankruptcy rates during economic downturns."

https://www.affiches.fr/infos/droit-et-chiffre/linteret-de-se-transformer-en-scop/

A good article for understanding the difference between a "canonical" Worker Cooperative (according to Spanish Law 27/1999) and a French SCOP. We always say that Spanish cooperative legislation is the most advanced in the world, and for good reason.

https://thisweekinworcester.com/massceo-support-employee-owned-businesses/

Achieving worker ownership in succession in all types of companies seeking a buyer is already a public policy objective in the #USA.

"The Massachusetts Office of Business Development announced the launch of a statewide center that will help businesses explore and adopt employee-owned models across the state."

The Massachusetts Center for Employee Ownership (MassCEO), which opened on October 1, is a resource for companies interested in employee ownership models to support succession planning, build wealth for workers, promote income equity, and strengthen employee engagement.

https://www.ouest-france.fr/pays-de-la-loire/cholet-49300/jai-appris-a-parler-francais-de-lillettrisme-aux-soft-skills-cap-savoir-change-leur-avenir-e35efdd6-9d4a-11f0-b811-6c36c51f00fc

Cap Savoir: From Association to Pioneering Worker Cooperative in Training in France. This article presents a success story of a worker cooperative in France, highlighting its evolution from a small association to a pioneering training organization, underscoring the potential of worker cooperatives to generate social impact and sustainable growth in the education sector.

https://www.pasadenanow.com/weekendr/bullseye-at-25-how-a-college-radio-show-became-a-worker-owned-empire/

How a college radio program evolved into a successful #EOT and a small media empire, illustrating the potential of worker-owned businesses as a model for sustainable growth in the US.

https://www.leprogres.fr/environnement/2025/09/29/demain-environnement-cette-nouvelle-plateforme-a-la-pointe-du-recyclage-de-produits-complexes

A French worker cooperative has launched an advanced recycling platform. This initiative has regional impact, offering a scalable and significant model for the growth of worker-owned businesses.

https://canadiandimension.com/articles/view/budget-2025-should-bolster-employee-ownership-to-strengthen-canadas-economy

This article is significant because it advocates for government policies in Canada to strengthen employee ownership, which could increase the number of worker-owned businesses and their influence on the economy.