Action Academy

Cooperatives: Worker, Consumer, and Housing Co-ops

What a co-op is, the three main types, how members govern and get paid, and how to convert an existing business to worker ownership.

Intermediate

45 min3 lessons6-question testAll courses

Sections

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Read it or listen to it, then clear the section test. Sections open one at a time.

Section 1

What makes a business a cooperative

A cooperative is a business owned and democratically controlled by the people who use it. The defining rule is one member, one vote — control follows membership, not the size of an… Join free to read, listen, and test.

Section 2

The main types and how members get paid

Locked

Worker cooperatives are owned by employees. Workers earn wages, elect the board, and receive patronage based on hours worked. Studies of worker co-ops consistently find lower turno… Join free to read, listen, and test.

Section 3

Starting one, or converting a business into one

Locked

Formation follows a sequence: a feasibility study, a business plan, incorporation under your state's cooperative statute (or an LLC with cooperative bylaws where no statute fits), … Join free to read, listen, and test.

Course test

Prove what you learned

Members take a 6-question test at the end of this course. Score 80% or higher and a certificate of completion is issued to your account.

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