MadWorC, a Madison, Wis. area network of worker cooperatives, hosted worker cooperators and supporters from Madison, Milwaukee, Chicago, Minneapolis/St. Paul, and as far away as Cincinnati and Santa Fe at the organization’s 5th Midwest Regional Rendezvous of Worker Cooperators in Madison, Sept. 19-20. In addition to exploring better practices for worker cooperatives in areas such as accounting, bookkeeping and committee structures, participants delved deeply into the themes of collective self-determination, solidarity, and social justice.
In fact, solidarity and social justice discussions fully intersected with real-time events occurring during the Rendezvous, with participants hearing about individuals being handcuffed and “taken away” in Chicago during the federal government’s surge of immigration enforcement activities there in September.
At the conclusion of the Rendezvous, participants unanimously ratified two declarations: one in solidarity with immigrants, and a second in solidarity with people facing housing insecurity. The housing declaration was kindled in part by the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority’s efforts to privatize the Glendale Townhomes and other public housing projects, efforts which, if successful, could lead to the displacement of thousands of low-income families of color, refugees, immigrants, elders/seniors, and people with disabilities.
The declaration aimed at the enforcement activities in Chicago stated, in part: “We categorically reject the violence and impunity with which these mass detentions and deportations of our friends, neighbors and relatives are taking place, as well as the fear and terror generated by these actions … In particular we stand in solidarity with the workers and families in Illinois who have suffered brutal home invasions and kidnappings this weekend … Our cooperative values, principles and commitments are rooted in the deep belief in the value and dignity of every person and the conviction that no human being is illegal.”
The housing insecurity declaration stated, in part: “We, the participants of the 2025 Midwest Regional Rendezvous of Worker Cooperators, hereby declare our solidarity with members of our communities
who are struggling to obtain and maintain secure housing … Our cooperative values, principles and
commitments are rooted in the deep belief in the value and dignity of every person and the conviction
that housing is a human right.”
Incorporated as a cooperative in 2012, MadWorC is a membership organization of about a dozen Madison area worker-owned and operated cooperatives and affiliates. The organization includes a wide variety of worker cooperatives ranging from a community pharmacy to a taxi cab company, a cooperative offering interpreters services, a bookkeeping company, and an engineering and manufacturing cooperative. MadworC offers cooperative education, development support, technical assistance towards growing an ecosystem of worker-owned cooperatives, and peer networking and social events such as the Regional Rendezvous.
About 40 cooperators, speakers and supporters attended the 2025 Rendezvous. Focused on the theme “The Nature of Cooperatives,” speakers addressed a wide range of topics such as regenerative practices for cooperatives; strategies for “longevity and worker-owned satisfaction”; building sustainable, democratically run software systems; “Solidarity Economy Values,” “Co-op Climate Justice Planning”; and “Committees that Work.
Attendees also heard from a panel of speakers offering insights on the recent transition of a traditional veterinary practice to a worker-owner cooperative, including the former owner, a current worker-member and a technical assistance provider from the University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives. The conference also included tours of two local worker-owned cooperatives, and a conference after-party.
“While I don’t want to leave out any of our presenters – as I feel that all of their topics related in some way
to MadWorC – we had a presentation on moving away from the big tech platforms, that a lot of us lean on, called ‘Evicting our Digital Landlords,’ ” MadWorC coordinator P.J. Chamberlain, told Cooperative Focus. “That one felt the most relevant to folks, as well as aligned with our mission of putting workers first, as a lot of these platforms not only rely on dubious treatment of their workers, but are also utilizing AI to outright replace workers at their companies!”
Overall, said Chamberlain, conference organizers received “very positive feedback” from attendees and presenters, “with a couple of folks wishing there was time for more sessions. . . I think the power of cooperation, when it comes together, is always a big highlight for me.”
“This conference was all killer, no filler,” one attendee offered in a post-conference comment. “The joy per person was off the charts. The mix of different perspectives, both in the overall conference roster and the sessions themselves, brought so many new and exciting thoughts into my mind.”