Workers buying the factory where they work - a new trend in job protection in US?

[Keith Millea]

Back in 1972,I moved to a very remote coastal mountain town in Oregon.I was part of the "back to the land" counterculture movement that had outgrown the Haight/Ashbury scene.This was a place where the closest supermarket was 45 miles of bad road away.

We started and organized a food co-op that would pick up our goods from the wholesale food-co-op in Eugene.We would fill out our orders,then we would send someone into town to pick up the food.Once back,members helped sorting and weighing all the orders for individual households.This because items are bought in bulk form.It all worked great,and I'm pretty sure the co-op is still functioning today.

We also had a crew from our valley that joined the tree planting co-op "Hoedads".This entailed bidding on Govt.contracts to replant logged areas.This provided work for people at least until "others"came in with Mexican crews that could under bid everyone.

And,even before I moved out there,the electric company was a co-op.

Also,I might add,Ken Kesey's father started the Springfield Creamery,which was a local dairy farmers co-op.

So,here in Oregon,co-ops have been used for many years,and as the economy further shrinks,I think the co-op philosophy will only grow more stronger.