CWCF Annual Report | 2020 Canadian Worker Co-operative Federation/ Fédération canadienne des coopératives de travail Annual Report | 2020 CWCF new website and Conference 2019 CANADIAN WORKER CO- OPERATIVE FEDERATION www.canadianworker.coop/ CWCF Annual Report | 2020 1 Profile of the Canadian Worker Co- operative Federation (“CWCF”) Table of Contents CWCF is the apex organization for worker co-ops in President’s Report 2019-2020 2 Canada. It was established in 1991. Offices are located in Calgary, AB, the Annapolis Valley, NS and in Executive Director’s Report: A. Introduction 3 Winnipeg, MB. CWCF has a staff of five permanent B. Report Based on the Strategic Plan 4 employees working half-time or more (two in Calgary, two in Nova Scotia, one in Winnipeg), and two others Financial Report 10 who work very part-time for CWCF. Its Board of seven directors provides stewardship. There are two “at- The Co-operators: Membership and Insurance 10 large” director positions and directors for each of the following regions: BC, Prairies, Ontario, Quebec and The Mark Goldblatt Project: Arts and Culture Grant 11 Atlantic Canada. Membership in Related Associations 11 Vision Statement Statement on the Co-operative Identity 12 To be a growing, cohesive network of democratically controlled worker co-ops that provide a high quality of Staff 13 worklife, and support the development of healthy, just Board 2019-20 14 and sustainable local economies, based on co-operative values and principles. Mission Statement 1) To work in solidarity with our members to [Note: in the electronic version of this document, the achieve our Vision of a Co-operative Economy; underlined blue text leads to hyper-links.] 2) To support the development of new worker co- ops; #104, 402-30 Ave. NE, Calgary AB T2E 2E3 3) To strengthen the Federation, to animate the Tel: 403-276-8250 Fax: 403-338-0226 worker co-operative movement; and 4) To represent and promote the Canadian worker co-op movement in Canada and internationally. NB en français : La FCCT regrette de ne pas pouvoir offrir le Membership Rapport annuel en français, mais nous sommes heureux de répondre à vos questions et commentaires en français. / CWCF has 48 direct worker co-op members and CWCF regrets that we are unable to provide the Annual approximately 100 worker co-ops affiliated as indirect Report in French, but we would be pleased to respond to any members, through the Quebec Regional Federation questions and comments in French. members, Le Réseau de la coopération du travail du Québec, la Fédération québécoise des coopératives forestières, and la Fédération des coopératives des paramédics du Québec. CWCF Annual Report | 2020 2 President’s Report 2019-2020 By Reba Plummer The pandemic has exposed (to more people) the fragility of the capitalist system. One (not) fine The 2019-20 year started off normal. We ended example is our long-term care facilities. You had to our 2018-19 year looking good; our revenues were be willfully blind to not realize that there were up and our strategic plan was in place, we were serious problems pre-pandemic. When Ontario’s moving ahead with implementation of several Premier Ford vowed to change the long-term care programs, working on new member outreach and system after he revealed that his mother- in-law engagement options, and lobbying the had contracted Covid in a long-term care facility, government. there was hope that something would change. All plans changed when the pandemic hit. Early on Doug Ford stated, “I recognize that the system is we decided to cancel the annual in-person broken and we’re going to fix the system.” Now we conference and AGM and host it virtually, and at are well into the second wave and we see that no the same time increase the number of webinars (meaningful) changes have been implemented. throughout the year. For example, in July we This is the capitalist system to its core. Financial hosted a very well attended webinar A Shared advancement is number one while community, the Strategy for Shared Ownership featuring Nathan environment, and our collective future are ignored. Schneider (our original keynote speaker for the The same applies to precarious work, unaffordable AGM). For our virtual AGM, we are pleased to housing, and the list goes on… present special guest speaker Dr. Jessica Gordon- Nembhard speaking on the topic: Diversity & Inclusion Aren’t Enough: Practical Tools for Worker Co-ops and the Worker Co-op Movement. An excellent year of hard work under difficult circumstances had the staff quickly pivot to working from home and continuing to advance our strategic plan implementation while not being able to host any in-person events. Our worker co-op Just Us! Coffee Roasters Co-op development program based on the Quebec Réseau COOP’s successful Parcours program will be This is the time for a New Economy. Another launched as an online course, allowing more world is possible, another world is happening. We people to participate. CWCF created an Emergency are part of the solidarity economy. The “theft” of Relief Program and instituted Solidarity dues of MEC from the Canadian co-operative sphere is $10. Because more than dues, we want members, devastating. The corporatization of co-operatives is strong vibrant members who see value in CWCF. a serious threat. The capitalist economy believes Lobbying continues and interest grows in helping that this is how business must be done and that businesses transition to worker co-ops. the thoughts, ideas, aspirations, ethics of the CWCF Annual Report | 2020 3 members be they consumers, producers or A heartfelt Thank-you is extended to staff, board, workers don’t count, that we don’t know what we members, and everyone who makes CWCF want, need, desire, believe in. But we do! We don’t possible. We will get through this difficult time. turn a blind eye to unfair labour practices, Some of us will be reduced, and some of us will outrageous pay differentials, and exploitative emerge stronger. Where there is adversity, there is work. We are on the frontlines; we strive for opportunity. Stay strong, stay healthy; let’s meet equity, equality, justice, and inclusivity (among again soon! other things): We are Worker Co-operators! Executive Director’s Report: A. Introduction by Hazel Corcoran services, worker co-ops are demonstrating their resilience, helping people address the concerns of Building Resilience through Challenging Times our times and helping worker-owners maintain What a year it has been. As I look back on CWCF’s employment. Although the worker co-ops across last financial year (ended on August 31st), it is the country are challenged, to the best of our impossible to not think about it as before, and knowledge none of our member worker co-ops during Covid-19. I will of course report on both, have ceased operating during the pandemic, and but all is seen through the lens of our current, very some are thriving. challenged world. The CWCF response to the pandemic has included We find ourselves facing not only the pandemic but changes to operations, member services, also other crises which have both become more government relations, and of course to how we visible and in most cases worsened: economic inequality, systemic racism, lack of reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, mental health, the long- term care crisis, and climate change. Given that these other crises were already present, it is critical that we not go back to the old normal. Times of crisis push us to reconsider what matters. We need a new normal, which puts people at the centre and which prioritizes equality, justice and health of the planet. The worker co-operative Shift Delivery Worker Co-op model is a key part of a solidarity economy and is needed now more than ever. meet. On the operational side, we quickly created and followed a Business Continuity Plan which we Through mutual aid, through building equality and previously did not have, and we transitioned the democracy in the workplace, and by working in Nova Scotia RRSP-TFSA office staff to a work-from- areas such as food services, health-related services, home approach. In terms of member-facing sustainability consulting, IT, green building, bicycle services and activities: we amended the Technical sales, low-carbon delivery and other important Assistance grant program and the Tenacity Works CWCF Annual Report | 2020 4 Fund criteria to address Covid-related concerns, services, to support worker co-ops through the and offered to Regular members (worker co-ops) pandemic, and prioritized government relations in the option of “Solidarity Dues” of only $10 for the support of having worker co-operatives be part of year if they needed it. We have focused on the federal response to economic recovery. government relations activities to seek a program With Gratitude using worker co-op buy-outs for economic recovery, to help the staggering numbers of Last but certainly not least, I would like to express workers at risk of unemployment. In terms of my deep appreciation to the dedicated and meetings, we’ve had to change board meetings engaged staff members of CWCF for all you’ve and member engagement activities to virtual, and done throughout the year. I also greatly appreciate we held additional webinars. I hosted five virtual the work of CWCF’s many volunteers, notably the coffee break meet-ups, and board members hosted members of the board and also those serving as several other similar check-in events. delegates to The Co-operators and provincial co-op CWCF’s strategic plan maps out paths to associations, our Fund Investment Committee strengthen worker co-ops and scale up the worker members, and our Government Relations Advisor, co-op movement.