Cincinnati leaders head to Spain to see success of worker-owned economic approach

A delegation of civic leaders from Greater Cincinnati is set to tour a cooperative business association in Spain from April 23-27 with the goal of helping our region benefit from a proven model for economic transformation.

Co-op Cincy, a local network of co-operatives in Cincinnati, is organizing the visit.

A group of about 40 individuals will tour the Mondragon Cooperative Corporation, an association of cooperatives that has transformed a region about the size of Greater Cincinnati, reducing economic inequality while fostering long-term growth.  

“Mondragon has moved the dial on income inequality and poverty,” said Co-op Cincy Co-Director Ellen Vera. “Here in Cincinnati, we rank 4th among US cities that have cultivated thriving worker-owned sectors of the economy, with over 5,000 people in worker-owned businesses. We’re excited to have leaders from Greater Cincinnati learn first-hand from Mondragon’s success. We’ll return with tangible strategies to take worker-ownership and its benefits to a whole new level in our region.”

The diverse delegation includes business, philanthropic, and faith leaders; worker-owners from Co-op Cincy’s network of cooperatives; and representatives from Co-op Cincy’s sister organization in Dayton, Co-op Dayton. Among the participants are:

• Barbara Bell, district director for Congressman Greg Landsman
• Jeanne Golliher, retired president and CEO of the Cincinnati Development Fund
• Pastor Damon Lynch III of the New Prospect Baptist Church
• Bill Tucker, former executive director of Flywheel Social Enterprise Hub
• Robert Killins Jr., director of special initiatives at the Greater Cincinnati Foundation
• Denisha Porter, director of All-in-Cincinnati
• George Molinsky, partner at Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP
• Tim Rettig, founder & CEO of IntrustIT

The local group will tour cooperatives in Mondragon’s network, meet with leaders of the association, and talk with local elected officials about the policies they enacted to support the cooperative business model. 

“Mondragon is the most successful group of worker-owned co-ops in the world,” said Jeanne Golliher, retired president and CEO of the Cincinnati Development Fund. “I’m excited for the opportunity to join a delegation of leaders from Cincinnati so that they can learn more about the work Mondragon does and how it affects the economy, and to bring those important learnings back to Cincinnati.”

Since being established in 1956, Mondragon has become one of the largest corporations in Spain, with 95 worker-owned businesses (or cooperatives) employing more than 80,000 people. Mondragon has boosted the worker-owned model in the Basque region, which has a total of 1,300 cooperatives.

Unlike traditional companies, worker-owned businesses give workers an ownership stake. Research shows worker, company, and community benefits, including higher wages and greater stability. Worker-owners report a 92% higher median household net worth, 33% higher median income, and 53% higher median job tenure, according to the National Center for Employee Ownership. 

Co-op Cincy is directly inspired by Mondragon’s model. Since its founding in 2011, its local network of cooperatives has grown to 14 worker-owned businesses ranging from an urban farm to an energy efficiency and solar power firm. This network currently employs more than 100 people, of whom 75% are people of color and 66% are women. In addition to supporting our network of businesses, Co-op Cincy promotes the worker-owned model through outreach and educational activities.