Workers Given Loans To Purchase And Run Bankrupt Companies In Venezuela!

[Better Believe It]

Free screening of film on worker ownership in Venezuela

4 December 2008 ST. PAUL - Workers in Venezuela, with government support, are engaged in an experiment reshaping how the nation's factories are managed.

The film "Five Factories" (81 minutes, 2006, Venezuela) offers an inside look at worker-run cooperatives managing factories producing aluminum, paper, cocoa, tomato sauce, and cotton.

The film will screen Tuesday, Dec. 9, as part of the Labor and Community Film Series. The program will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Rondo Library, corner of Dale and University in St. Paul. Admission is free and open to the public.

"Five Factories" tells how these companies, many driven into bankruptcy by their former owners, have been transformed. The Chavez government provided the workers with loans to purchase the factories. Workers elect the management of the factories and will own the factories after repaying government loans.

The film is in Spanish with English subtitles.

http://www.workdayminnesota.org/index.php?news_6_3869

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Well, that sounds like a program. How about doing something like that in the auto industry? Nationalize them and place them under the direct management and democratic control of the auto workers! That would be a huge step toward democracy in the workplace.

[w4rma]

1. Venezuela is doing some fantastic things down there. They may be overtaking us in the near future.nt

[riqster]

2. Employee-owned companies have some terrific things going for them

Personal investment (financial and emotional) and so on. However, there need to be skilled managers on the team for it to flourish.

Haven't seen the film yet, but I'll put it on my to-watch list. Thanks for posting!

[deaniac21]

3. Maybe we could get Chavez to buy them!

[harun]

8. How awesome would that be?

Revolucion en los estados unidos :-).

[99th_Monkey]

4. Hell ya!! Worker-ownership = outsource-proof jobs & anchors capital into local communities ~nt~

[Better Believe It]

5. Now that sounds like a plan .... how about applying it in the USA?

[99th_Monkey]

6. There are ALREADY people working on this. Ohio's a hot spot, but

there are national associations as well. Check it out ... I wonder if they have any "ins" with the Obama Transition Team?

http://www.nceo.org/index.html

http://www.nceo.org/library/eo_stat.html

http://dept.kent.edu/oeoc/


THIS LAST ONE IS SPECIFICALLY DEALING WITH WORKERS BUYING OUT CHRYSLER ... WOOT.
http://209.85.173.132/search?q=cache:XjhsSQo09hoJ:info.detnews.com/2007/0419chrysler-employee-buyout.pdf+Employee+Ownership+Buyout+Committee&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us

[Greyhound]

7. This is the kind of thing the SBA should be doing, instead of funneling profits

to big campaign contributors. Small business drives the American economy and creates the middle class.