Mondragon: Re: MDRGN: Re: MDRGN Inaugural Message

[Hsq95@aol.com]

Race -

I look forward to reading your paper.  We have not met but I believe you have met my partner here at Ownership Associates, Fred Freundlich, who also serves on the faculty of Mondragon University and who lives in Guernica.  I am also a long time colleague of David Ellerman's (since 1978) and an admirer and, proud to say, a friend of both Robert Oakeshott and David Erdal in the UK.  Robert is the person who got the ball rolling here ...

Our firm dwells primarily in the "after the transaction" training, survey assessment and organizational development market of majority ESOPs. Information on our work is available at www.ownershipassociates.com.  

We also regularly embark on more entrepreneurial adventures the latest being the launch of a Mondragon-inspired start up venture in Los Angeles called Team X, Inc. that is producing Sweat X brand apparel for the university "conscience" market.  Jeff Gates, of ESOP fame (see www.sharedcapitalism.org)  and I advised the Team X crew back in August and we were pleased when they chose the Mondragon road.  Funding for this project is coming through a non-profit called Hot Fudge, Inc. a spin off from Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream that has been consumed, so to speak, by Unilever.

The Hot Fudge leadership are thinkers and they are truly inspired by the Mondragon example.  We are not the first to imagine replicating the workings of the Caja Laboral Popular (particularly in its earlier days) but perhaps we have a chance of making something happen starting with the increased level of public awareness with the problem of sweatshops in the garment industry.  I am also glad to report that with my help Team X, Inc. which was launched in December, 2001 signed a union contract with UNITE! the American garment union on March 21, 2002.  The subject of unions and cooperatives or unions and employee ownership is a large one - suffice it to say that it is part of this model straight out of the box.

Regards,
Chris Mackin
Ownership Associates, Inc. (a worker cooperative by the way)
6 University Road
Cambridge, MA 02138
T. 617-868-4600
E-mail: cm@ownershipassociates.com or hsq95@aol.com