this post was submitted on 05 Dec 2025
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For real though I'm tired of being alienated from my labor. Does anyone here have experience working with or starting a worker coop?

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[–] hungrybread@hexbear.net 15 points 3 months ago (1 children)

I'm pretty open minded regarding industry, Im really more concerned with external impacts of the job (which sounds loftier than it is, the goal is to have a neutral or better effect on the community / environment / etc). Coincidentally I'm also in the Midwest and agriculture sounds interesting. Fwiw I'm currently a tech worker and don't really know anything about the ag industry though

[–] KnilAdlez@hexbear.net 14 points 3 months ago (1 children)

If you're in the mid-west, you're probably surrounded by coops and don't realize it. I'm actually working on a PhD in computer science, I'd be interested in looking into some kind of tech co-op as well.

[–] hungrybread@hexbear.net 3 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Yeah, definitely seems that way. Its pretty cool that ag has so many co-ops. I was under the impression that a good amount of them aren't necessarily structured as a worker co-op (I think ive seen the term seller co-op before?), but I am very ignorant to how those actually work/how specific ag co-ops might work.

What field of CS are you doing your PhD in?

[–] KnilAdlez@hexbear.net 3 points 3 months ago (1 children)

I was under the impression that a good amount of them aren't necessarily structured as a worker co-op (I think ive seen the term seller co-op before?)

So it's pretty complex, and I am only marginally connected to these, so I may get some details wrong. But, yes, at the lowest level, it is farmers who own their land and private property forming a coop to collectively sell their harvest. But those co-ops themselves often form a tiered co-op. Land-O'-Lakes is a big brand that is a tier 3 co-op!

My specifically field is niche enough hat it's very possible to dox me from it, but it has to do with responsible AI.

[–] infuziSporg@hexbear.net 3 points 3 months ago

Producers' co-ops, buyers co-ops, and workers' co-ops are all very distinct from each other though.