October 2011 Co-op Connections A Newsletter of the Manitoba Cooperative Association In This Issue It's Co-op Week!!! North American Worker Co-operative & Business Successions Conferences CICOPA Conferences Through the Eyes of a Co-op Developer MCA Awards Dinner - Award Recipients All 4 Each, a Unit to Inspire a Cooperative Conscience International Year of Cooperatives, D-86!ork Helping Cooperatives Ideas from Ontario Co-op Association to Celebrate IYConference to be Held in Winnipeg Arctic Co-operatives Limited Transports Recyclables University of Winnipeg Once Again Offers Management of Cooperatives Course Final Intake for Cooperative Development Grants The Province of Manitoba Continues to Support Cooperatives in Manitoba Canadian Community Economic Development Network (CCEDNet) Manitoba Gathering Features Co-op Workshops Bank Transfer Day Good luck Carol! It's Co-op Week!!! Welcome to this special edition of Co-op Connections. Co-op Week is celebrated during the same week as International Credit Union Day, which is the third Thursday in October each year. Using the theme for the International Year of Cooperatives (IYC), the theme for Co-op Week 2011 is Co-op Enterprises Build a Better World. This issue of Co-op Connections will update cooperators about several exciting things going on in our community including what has been planned so far to celebrate the United Nations proclamation of 2012 as the International Year of the Cooperative. In the meantime, from our co-op to yours, Happy Co-op Week!!!! North American Worker Cooperative & Business Successions Conference At the conference, pictured here from left to right: Felice Scalvini, President Cooperatives Europe and VP, International Co-op Alliance and Manitoba's own Erwan Bouchaud, Project Manager for the Cooperative Co-op Connections 1 of 9
Transcript
October 2011
Co-op ConnectionsA Newsletter of theManitoba Cooperative Association
In This Issue
It's Co-op Week!!!
North American WorkerCo-operative & BusinessSuccessions Conferences
CICOPA Conferences Throughthe Eyes of a Co-op Developer
MCA Awards Dinner - AwardRecipients
All 4 Each, a Unit to Inspire aCooperative Conscience
International Year ofCooperatives, D-86!ork Helping
It's Co-op Week!!! Welcome to this special edition of Co-op Connections. Co-op Week is celebrated during the same week as International CreditUnion Day, which is the third Thursday in October each year. Using thetheme for the International Year of Cooperatives (IYC), the theme forCo-op Week 2011 is Co-op Enterprises Build a Better World. This issue of Co-op Connections will update cooperators about severalexciting things going on in our community including what has beenplanned so far to celebrate the United Nations proclamation of 2012 asthe International Year of the Cooperative. In the meantime, from our co-op to yours, Happy Co-op Week!!!!
North American Worker Cooperative &Business Successions Conference
At the conference, pictured here from left to right: Felice Scalvini,President Cooperatives Europe and VP, International Co-op Alliance andManitoba's own Erwan Bouchaud, Project Manager for the Cooperative
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Community Strategy Quebec City was the beautiful location for the Business SuccessionsConference which was held from October 11 -13. That conference wasfollowed immediately by the North American Worker CooperativeConference from October 13 - 15. The conferences were organizedjointly by the Canadian Worker Co-op Federation (CWCF) and Reseau dela cooperation du travail du Quebec. The first conference dealt with an issue that many businesses are, orsoon will be facing: the threat of a whole generation of entrepreneursretiring. Because many of these businesses are at risk of not being ableto find buyers, employees are looking at how to ensure theirfutures. Business transfer to employees using the cooperative model isa very promising option to maintain these businesses andrepresentatives from Manitoba including some from the Province ofManitoba, Manitoba Cooperative Association and several worker co-opswere on hand to share the experiences of experts from Canada, theUnited States and other countries. The second conference had four objectives:
To provide a venue for the Worker Cooperative movements inQuebec, the rest of Canada and the United States to cometogether and share experiences. This was the first time and ahistoric occasion
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To develop the expertise of worker cooperators through theexchange and analysis of best practices in the management andgovernance of a worker co-op
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To officially launch the North American sub-region of CICOPA-Americas, to be known as "CICOPA-North America." (CICOPA isthe international association of worker co-ops)
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To prepare and announce a common declaration on public policypositions favourable to the growth and development of workerco-ops and issued jointly by all the Federations involved inlead-up to the UN International Year of Cooperatives in 2012.
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The Worker Co-op Conference also included an AGM for the CWCF and aspeech by Amy Goodman, host and Executive Producer of DemocracyNow. Ms. Goodman spoke about her recent experiences at theexecution of Troy Davis and at Occupy Wall Street as well as speakingabout her arrest and the importance of independent media indemocratic societies. Some of the information from these conferences has been posted and isavailable here.
CICOPA Conferences Through the Eyes ofa Co-op Developer Throughout the presentations at the conference, it became clear thatbusiness developers have attempted to meet the delicate challenge ofsequencing the process of business succession. Naturally each buy-outis different but some similarities justify trying. In his presentation, Buy-Out Steps Outline, Roy Messing from Ohio
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Employee Ownership Centre identified seven steps. In brief, the stepsare: (1) Educate the supporters of the buyout; (2) Establish a buyoutassociation; (3) Do a pre-feasibility assessment; (4) Conduct afeasibility study; (5) Develop a Business Plan; (6) Negotiate thepurchase and create the structure for the new employee-ownedco-operative; (7) Arrange financing; (8) Close the deal with the seller. If you are interested in learning more about the different steps thatwere suggested during the conferences, I strongly recommend you toconsult the resource page of CWCF website here. Submitted by Erwan Bouchaud, Project Manager, CooperativeCommunity Strategy.
MCA Awards Dinner - Award Recipients Manitoba Cooperative Association would like to take this opportunity tocongratulate the cooperators receiving awards at this week's awardsbanquet. These cooperators have all made huge contributions in the communityand we are honoured to include them amongst the celebrated list ofcooperators from years past. Awards will be given on Thursday, October 21 to the followingcooperators:
Distinguished Cooperator Award - Wayne McLeodCooperative Merit Award - Marcel DaeninckCooperative Achievement Award - Assiniboine Credit Union
To view a comprehensive list of previous award recipients, please visitour website here.
All 4 Each, a Unit to Inspire aCooperative Conscience All 4 Each, developed by the Ontario Co-operative Association, is a newpublication meant to help teach high school students about co-ops. Thecolourful workbook suggests activities where, in order to succeed,groups of students must work together. In addition to conveying some fundamentals of economics,teachers engage the students in an experiment: the start up of acollective enterprise. The new entrepreneurs will have to learn how tomanage their own co-op, define strategic goals and plan its expansion.Through this process, they will have to locate and effectively usebusiness information. At the end, their success is possible thanks tocollaborative work with other groups. In addition to preparing students for adopting a cooperative mindset, itis also provides a framework essential for group projects.
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To promote this exciting material, its developer Mr. Kerr Smith, of theOntario Co-operative Association, will present the unit during theManitoba Educators of Business and Information Technology and theManitoba Social Science Teacher Association's Teacher In-Service Day. The presentation and the distribution of the material will help increaseco-op awareness in the youth which is in line with the provincial co-opcommunity strategic objectives and the goals set by the United Nationand the International Cooperative Alliance for IYC 2012.
International Year of Cooperatives, D-86! The IYC celebrations are fast approaching - 86 days until it is here! Tohelp with the provincial campaign, MCA is pleased to welcome SaraAtnikov to the IYC team. Sara is Coordinator of Activities forInternational Year of Cooperatives (IYC). We are thrilled to put to gooduse her tremendous skills in communication, coordination andmarketing. Sara will support actions such as the Traveling Co-op Short Film Festivaland the Traveling Co-op Provincial Exhibit... and the launch of the IYCcampaign that the Canadian co-op community has planned to celebrateon January 12, 2012. Don't forget to save the date! Just a reminder that this is YOUR year. MCA is pleased to assist withyour activities and we welcome your ideas and suggestions to make theyear a huge success. Please feel free to email Sara directly with yourcomments or ideas at [email protected] or give her a call at (204)989-0098.
Ideas from Ontario Co-op Association toCelebrate IYC Ontario Co-op Association recently published some great ideas to helpyour co-op celebrate IYC. These ideas cost little to no money but go along way to help promote the year.
Have a staff luncheon. Talk about how your organization isdifferent because it's a co-op. Discuss how the co-op principlescan apply to your sector, and the way you do business.
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Locate another cooperative or credit union in yourneighbourhood and arrange a meeting; a coffee or a lunch.
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Drop into your local chamber of commerce or businessenterprise centre and leave some brochures with the staff. Takea few minutes and chat with them about your organization.
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Create a profile of your cooperative: Describe your membership,your function and the different ways your organizationcontributes to your community. Send it to your local mediaoutlets, city hall and your MP.
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Offer to speak about your co-op at a local school, communityclub or business networking association. Talk about your
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projects, your contributions to your community, IYC, etc.Tell two people, outside of your normal co-op contacts, aboutyour role in the cooperative sector.
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Hold an open house or member appreciation day. 7.
Arctic Co-operatives Limited TransportsRecyclables from Rankin Inlet
News from Kissarvik Co-op In May of this year, Arctic Co-operatives Limited (ACL) introduced anAluminum Can Recycling Project on behalf of Member Co-ops acrossNunavut. As an off-shoot of this program, working together withNunavut Sealink and Supply Inc. (NSSI), Kissarvik Co-op, and theHamlet of Rankin Inlet, ACL will transport over three million recyclablebeverage containers to the south for recycling. Following the Board Meeting in Baker Lake, Board Members, ACL seniormanagers and members of the community were on hand for a photoopportunity to commemorate this worthy collaboration to achieve acleaner environment. ACL gives special thanks to their partners, without whom this projectwould not be possible: To NSSI for transporting the recyclables, and toCanadian North for supplying the bags. To our suppliers, ArcticBeverages and The Co-operators whose funding was instrumental in theimplementation of ACL's recycling program. Thank you!
At Kissarvik Co-op, pictured here from left to right:Mary Nirlungayuk, Walter Morey, Rod Wilson,Kono Tattuinee, Nicole Sikma, Bill Lyall, Ross Tatty,Peter James Vittrekwa,Pujjuut Kusugak and Arnie Brown
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University of Winnipeg Once Again OffersManagement of Cooperatives Course The Management of Cooperatives course is once again being offered atthe Business and Administration School, University of Winnipeg.
Cooperatives are distinct businesses that embody economic democracyand community economic development, requiring a differentmanagement style. The Management of Cooperatives course introducesbusiness students to the unique business model of co-operation, with anemphasis on understanding the added value that cooperatives provideour society and economy. By using a combination of lectures, readings, guest speakers, casestudies and discussion, the class intends to connect theory and practiceto help students develop a fuller understanding of cooperativemanagement. The course draws on the fundamentals of managementtheory and involves a multidisciplinary approach to building on topicsfrom business, sociology, economics, local and internationaldevelopment and political science. Instructional methods used for thisclass include lectures, case analyses and guest lectures from experts inthe field. One key to highlight is the regular appearance in the class of high levelco-op managers, who bring significant knowledge, experience, andexpertise to the dialogue while establishing clear credibility regardingthe business legitimacy of cooperatives.The class will run in the winter term (2012), on Mondays from 6.00pmto 9.00pm. For more information, click here or email the instructor [email protected].
Final Intake for CooperativeDevelopment Grants The final intake for this year's grants as administered by the ManitobaCooperative Association will be December 15. Please note that because of the overwhelming interest in the Tax CreditFund, the funds for this year have been depleted and we cannot acceptany more applications to that fund this year. Remember that you ascooperatives are able to ensure the continued success of the fund bycontributing to it. For more information on the grants available or how to contribute to theTax Credit Fund please visit our website.
The Province of Manitoba Continues toSupport Cooperatives in Manitoba
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As many within the co-op community are aware, in 2009, the Provinceof Manitoba entered into a formal partnership with the ManitobaCooperative Association (MCA) and the Conseil de développementéconomique des municipalitiés bilingues du Manitoba (CDEM), launchingthe new Manitoba Cooperative Strategy. The Strategy was intended to help design and establish appropriateresources to help new, existing and future cooperatives and grow thecooperative community. This, of course, is impossible without anaccurate list of co-ops within the Province. MCA is extremely pleasedthat the Province of Manitoba has provided it with information requiredin order to reach out to the cooperatives in Manitoba. We sincerelyappreciate all the hard work that went into provision of thisinformation. This is truly further proof of the Province's commitmentand support to the cooperatives of Manitoba.
Canadian Community EconomicDevelopment Network (CCEDNet)Manitoba Gathering Features Co-opWorkshops
Each year CCEDNet Manitoba organizes a free conference bringingtogether people from all over Manitoba who recognize the importance ofcommunity economic development. This year's gathering will be takingplace on Friday, October 21, at St. John's High School in Winnipeg.
There will be a number of workshops available to choose fromincluding four co-op workshops: Co-ops 101 (the basics of co-ops),Co-ops 201 (featuring Peg City Car Co-op and Pollock's Hardware), aworkshop on housing cooperatives (featuring the new SEED WinnipegHousing Mobilizer, Blair Hamilton, Karl Falk, Co-op Housing Developerand representatives of the Western Manitoba Seniors Housing Co-op)and Banking for Justice - the Credit Union Potential (presented byAssiniboine Credit Union).
For more information on this exciting conference please click here. CCEDNet is also hosting a free showing of the film the Economicsof Happiness at the Gas Station Theatre on October 20, at 7:00 p.m.
Bank Transfer Day
There is a growing group of people that have declared November 5 is"Bank Transfer Day". People are being encouraged to learn about theprograms their local credit unions offer and consider transferring theirbank accounts to their local credit union.
The group, which has over 55,000 members on Facebook, states thefollowing:
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Together we can ensure that these banking institutions will ALWAYSremember the 5th of November!! If the 99% removes our funds fromthe major banking institutions to non-profit credit unions on or by thisdate, we will send a clear message to the 1% that conscious consumerswon't support companies with unethical business practices.
* Research your local credit union options* Open an account with the one that best suits your needs* Cancel all automatic withdrawals & deposits* Transfer your funds to the new account * Follow your bank's procedures to close your account before 11/05 If you haven't already done so, consider reinvesting in localcommunities by transferring your accounts from a bank to a creditunion and further supporting cooperatives.
To find your local Manitoba Credit Union, click here.
Good luck Carol! Carol Hunter, Executive Director of the Canadian CooperativeAssociation (CCA), has accepted the position of Executive Vice-Presidentat The Co-operators. We will miss Carol at CCA but wish her success inher new position and we look forward to continuing to work with her inher new role.
Please contactus at [email protected] with any stories orstory ideas. Tell us what is going in your co-ops inyour communities.
