When Workers Take Control

Monday, July 19, 2021 - 1:00pm
CDT
Marcelo Vieta

How is it that sometimes workers take control of their workplaces, replacing capitalist owners? This has been the focus of Marcelo Vieta’s research on recuperated factories in Argentina, Europe and the US. Although they may take control just to save their jobs, they usually end up forming cooperatives. What is the social and economic context that leads to take-overs. Why is it that workers find the formation of a cooperative is their best option? How are their subjectivities transformed in cooperatives? What political and legal conditions are needed to secure worker cooperatives?

A professor at the University of Toronto, Marcelo Vieta’s writings explore how more cooperation, solidarity, and democracy may be fostered in the workplace and the community. His most recent book is Worker’s Self-Management in Argentina. He has also written about cooperatives and community development in Latin America, Cuba, Italy, and Canada.

Twenty years ago in Argentina the precarity of life under neoliberalism led workers to seize control of workplaces. One question that haunts us today is why in the US the erosion of their status has turned many white workers to the Right? Is it a lack of a historical memory of struggle or a deep-seated racism? Can a turn away from neoliberalism and the democratization of workplaces reverse this? We need a workers economy.

UPCOMING TOURS

January 26, 2025 to February 4, 2025
Join us in an exciting visit to Cuba--a country committed to building socialism. We will learn about Cuba’s stunning accomplishments such as free health care and education, its collective production in agricultural and urban cooperatives, We will dialogue with leading thinkers about their visions... Read more
November 25, 2024 to November 29, 2024

We will depart from San Miguel early in the morning for an about two and a half hour drive to Morelia, known as the pink city, because the pink limestone used to build all of the historical mansions and churches. There we will spend one night, and almost two full days.

Upcoming Special Events

October 8, 2024 to October 12, 2024

As a part of the Global Action for Palestine, we invite you to VIVE PALESTINA 2024, a series of cultural events taking place in San Miguel de Allende. The event has its origins in a discussion on Palestine hosted by the Center for Global Justice some months ago. After that there was a followup meeting and a group of people decided to form... Read more

Upcoming Forums & Films

Monday, October 14, 2024 - 1:00pm
CST
Débora Poo
Location:
Hotel Quinta Loreto Community Room

The Palestinian people’s struggle for freedom, justice and equality needs your support. We will share information about the the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement that works to end international support for Israel's oppression of Palestinians and to pressure... Read more