The Deptford venue Matchstick Piehouse in London is running a fundraiser to become a workers co-op after it shut last year due to rent and lease issues. It is an anti-capitalist and grassroots bar, venue and art space where community members and former staff have come together. They feel becoming a worker co-op matches both the politics and ethos of the space. The first step is fundraising to cover wages, equipment and restarting. More here.
A new International working group has met twice, and it currently has 6 members. The group wants to formalise its role in workers.coop, coordinating our international representation, collaboration and solidarity links. It has proposed Babs Nicgriogair from Greencity to be our CECOP and perhaps CICOPA rep from 2024. The new group wants to host at least one session at Worker Co-op Weekend. Get in touch via this Forum thread if you might be interested in contributing, or would like to see Babs' fabulous personal statement.
Our Mobilising and Communications worker, Sam, linked up with folk from the US Federation of Worker Co-ops this December. Here's what she said.
It was uncharacteristically warm in New York by late December and I didn't need all my layers as I navigated Manhatten's busy streets towards Hells Kitchen. That evening I was having dinner with folk from the USFWC, and then attending their New York holiday social. The USFWC was a great support and inspiration for our UK based workers.coop as we set up, with John our Project Coordinator spending time collaborating with them during our initial days. Their national network of co-ops are 10-15 years ahead of us, so there are lots of lessons to be learnt, as well as there being more localised and regional networks.
In New York, for instance, there's the New York City Network of Worker Co-ops (NYC NOWC, pronounced nick-knock), who were hosting the evening's bilingual Spanish-English celebrations. I arrived to a lot of voices, kids running around and Latin/Salsa music, with a huge food table and a stall with merch and a raffle sign-up. We watched a presentation of the year's successes and listened to experiences of Board staff who were stepping down or up. The tour of the building was a highlight. It's a co-op events, working and art space called Prime Produce that despite its location is set deeply within different working class communities in the area. Amongst the spaces were a rooftop with veg boxes for people lacking green growing space, a mini turtle sanctuary, beetles, a music studio and a library.
A key difference between the USFWC and workers.coop is our structure; where they have a larger paid worker team, we have been relying more on a grassroots self-organised model. But much of our activities aspire to be the same, with them running peer network events and skill based trainings, albeit on a different scale. They applauded us for where we have got to now, with over 60 members, regional activities and plans for our second large in-person event in Spring. Building a federation takes a while, they said, but the hope is that in a year's time we'll have much more to compare and discuss. I am very grateful for their time and solidarity. | 
