![]() The CCEC coalition has set some priorities. Meanwhile, the coalition itself is maturing. Now that the group has gotten Cook County to pass the resolution, it is hoped that the city of Chicago will follow suit. ![]() Getting legislation passed in a county with 5.2 million people, a population of similar or greater size than more than half of the US states, is a considerable accomplishment.Īmong the more significant provisions was one that encouraged the county’s Bureau of Economic Development to make available community development block grant (CDBG) funding “to support local worker cooperatives and cooperative conversions, strengthen existing organizations that are incubating and training worker cooperatives in Cook County, and help to equip other organizations to provide such services, focusing on services to low‐income residents or in underserved areas.” The Cook County measure, in which the Cook County Board of Commissioners asserted its support for the development and growth of worker cooperatives, passed unanimously on October 17 th. In September, Lynch notes, “Cook County’s Social Innovation Commission approved a resolution to use community development block grants or other funding sources to support and develop worker co-ops.” ![]() “That,” writes Lynch, “triggers certain labor and IRS rules which can exclude immigrant communities from starting worker co-ops and make it cost prohibitive for others.” Hatcher elaborates that the current rules are “certainly a barrier for entrepreneurs that don’t have work authorization or don’t have legal status.” Some states, Lynch adds, such as Wisconsin, Iowa, and Tennessee, already have similar provisions in place. As Lynch details, a standard worker cooperative classifies worker-owners as employees. While most of the policy recommendations are pretty straightforward, the Limited Cooperative Association idea, which combines aspects of a cooperative with aspects of limited liability company, is a little more complicated.
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