FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: September 23, 2025
Worker Cooperative Conference Declares Solidarity with Immigrants & People Facing Housing Insecurity
MADISON, WISCONSIN - At the conclusion of the 5th Midwest Regional Rendezvous of worker cooperators, the participants unanimously ratified two declarations in solidarity with immigrants and people facing housing insecurity.
The Madison area network of worker cooperative businesses (MadWorC) hosted worker cooperators and supporters from Chicago, IL, Cincinnati, OH, Madison and Milwaukee, WI, Minneapolis, MN, St. Louis, MO, Saint Paul, MN and Santa Fe, NM for the conference on September 19 and 20, 2025.
In addition to exploring practical aspects of worker cooperative businesses like accounting and committee structures, participants also delved deeply into the themes of solidarity, collective self-determination, and the intersection of social justice movements.
During the Rendezvous, participants from Chicago were receiving news of individuals being handcuffed and taken away by unidentified, masked people who claimed to be law enforcement officers, as well as by federal agents. Several of their coworkers who had registered for the conference did not attend for fear of being targeted.
In a session dedicated to the cooperative scene in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, MN, a resident of the historic Glendale Townhomes presented on the history of cooperative enterprise within public housing developments, and reported that the Townhomes are being slated for demolition and privatization next year.
Following the cooperative tradition of issuing public statements at the conclusion of convenings, Rendezvous organizers conferred with participants from Chicago and the Twin Cities to draft declarations of solidarity with their struggles. During the closing session the declarations were read aloud for the review of Rendezvous participants. Input was solicited, and the declarations were ratified unanimously with great enthusiasm.
On June 19, 2024, the UN General Assembly declared 2025 the International Year of Cooperatives under the theme, “Cooperatives Build a Better World”. In these tumultuous times, worker cooperatives in the Midwest strive to uphold and embody visions of a better world for our communities through the values, principles and practices of solidarity and cooperation. These two declarations of solidarity are intended to inspire and support individual and collection action:
Solidarity Declaration - Immigrants
Solidarity Declaration - Housing
A group of Regional Rendezvous participants holding the UN International Year of Cooperatives flag.