Approve NewsSocial's application to join CoTech
Chris Lowis (Go Free Range)
Public
Seen by 100
Hi All,
NewsSocial are looking to join Cotech! A Loomio poll has been set up, voting will expire at 17:00, Friday 17th February 2023.
A bit about NewsSocial, from member Ali Assam:
We will be delighted to join CoTech, being (1) a Cooperative Society, and (2) a Tech cooperative who developed over 5 years the NewsSocial platform used by members of the Preston Model , the creation of an ecosystem for cooperative entrepreneurship in Preston, and also used by communities in Preston for a community asset mapping project that is being launched on 23 February 2023. Our Platform is also used in Iraq by Mushtarek (video with English subtitles), who believes that the free exchange of information and opinion has the power to advance our society to the better.
Our Governing Board, see link, is composed of leaders of the cooperative movement in the UK, US and Mondragon Corporation.
We will be delighted to support CoTech.
Best wishes
Ali
NewsSocial are a multi-stakeholder co-operative using rules based on Co-ops UK model rules. A minimum of 50% of their board places are reserved for workers of the co-op. Their governing document is attached.
New applications to join CoTech are a member vote as per the constitution so I’ll start a vote on this thread.
Poll Created Fri 10 Feb 2023 3:58PM
Approve NewsSocial's application to join CoTech Closed Fri 3 Mar 2023 5:05PM
Hi folks - this proposal didn't pass. Of the ten co-ops who voted, one blocked it on the grounds that NewsSocial's worker-controlled ownership model wasn't clear.
Honestly, I'm running out of energy and enthusiasm to keep shepherding this. Would anyone volunteer to get back to NewsSocial and explain to them what to do next? Feel free to send me an email at [email protected] if this is something you feel you can take on.
Please see the start of this thread for details on NewsSocial. They'd like to join CoTech. This is a member vote so one-coop one-vote, please. It will pass in 7 days if there are no disagree/block votes, but please take time to vote to agree as well as it's nice to give new co-ops a full and hearty welcome!
Results
| Results | Option | % of points | Voters | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Agree | 80.0% | 8 |
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| Abstain | 10.0% | 1 |
|
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| Disagree | 10.0% | 1 |
|
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| Undecided | 0% | 141 |
|
10 of 151 people have participated (6%)
Graham
Fri 10 Feb 2023 3:59PM
Happy to change my vote and support as I like what they are doing and I think CoTech would benefit from a more relaxed approach on this worker-owned thing.
Calum Mackervoy (Code-Operative)
Fri 10 Feb 2023 3:59PM
We haven't had a chance to vote on this in our co-op (Code-Operative) but I'm fairly sure we would have agreed, and I wanted to say assuming the vote passes then welcome! Thanks also for clarifying on their governance structure
Autonomic Co-operative
Fri 10 Feb 2023 3:59PM
Unless workers control is over 51% then we wouldn't consider it a worker co-operative. Blocking till more clarification and eyes have been on this.
Chris Lowis (Go Free Range)
Fri 10 Feb 2023 3:59PM
We'd (Go Free Range) be delighted to welcome another co-op to the CoTech fold and are happy that to all intents and purposes NewsSocial meet our current definition of a technology co-op in the UK that is controlled by its workers.
Sion Whellens (Principle Six)
Fri 10 Feb 2023 3:59PM
The legal rules/articles of a co-op are one way to diagnose whether it really is worker controlled (this passes the bar) but they aren't the only way of finding out. Imho Greennet's exclusion was an error because it was clearly worker controlled. Someone here said workers.coop's criteria are 'vague' but in fact they're carefully written: worker and worker-led co-ops, and democratic employee-owned enterprises.
Graham Mon 13 Feb 2023 9:32AM
@Michael Wignall - it was certainly the case a few years back when I was applying for membership on behalf of a co-op that wasn't worker controlled.
Michael Wignall (Data Content Reach) Mon 13 Feb 2023 9:45AM
cheers @Graham - maybe someone can clarify the point, as it does seem crucial to this application
Autonomic Co-operative Mon 13 Feb 2023 2:37PM
Yep, we're waiting on this info too.
Michael Wignall (Data Content Reach) · Mon 13 Feb 2023 9:18AM
Is that correct @Graham ? https://wiki.coops.tech/wiki/Who_can_join_CoTech it doesn't say anything about being worker controlled - "There are many types of co-op that are eligible for membership, including worker co-operatives, freelancer co-ops and various types of consortium co-ops."
For NewsSocial - User Organisation Members can comprise 50% of the Board. Plus two non-execs who on my reading can vote at Board meetings (may be wrong). Compared to say Ethical Consumer which is a multi-stakeholder co-op but with worker director control written into the Rules - https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/about-us/board-directors