5 22-0354 Subject: Small Business Roundtable Recommendations And Co-Op Businesses
From: Councilmember Fife And Council President Bas
Recommendation: Approve A Report And Recommendation From The City Administrator On Implementation Of The Recommendations From The 2017 Small Business Roundtable Task Force, Including An Update On What Actions Have Been Taken In Line With The Recommendations Regarding Small Business Support And Services; And An Update On The 2015 Resolution In Support Of Worker Cooperatives In The City Of Oakland
My name is Mo Manklang, and I am the Policy Director of the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives. As the national grassroots membership organization for worker cooperatives and democratic workplaces, we get a front row seat to the benefits of worker ownership as a means of building wealth, retaining jobs, and investing in communities across the country. The USFWC represents an estimated 1000 worker cooperatives and their 10,000 workers in the U.S. We have seen these workers, many of which are right here in Oakland, grow in their leadership, financial, and business skills in a diversity of industries. Mandela Grocery, Arizmendi Bakery, Colmenar Cooperative Consulting, Design Action Collective, and Radiate Bay Area are just a few of the worker cooperatives in Oakland which are creating wealth-building opportunities that will enrich the local economy.
Supporting cooperatives should be a ready tool for Oakland to address many of unmet needs in the community, including preserving Oakland jobs and businesses, reducing racial and gender income disparities through access to food and housing cooperatives, and improving job quality and accessibility. We ask that the Oakland City Council fund and support initiatives to create, attract, and retain worker-owned businesses in Oakland, including education and outreach, land-use and tax incentives, investment through grants and low-interest loans, and technical assistance. Thank you for the opportunity to voice our support!
My name is Mo Manklang, and I am the Policy Director of the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives. As the national grassroots membership organization for worker cooperatives and democratic workplaces, we get a front row seat to the benefits of worker ownership as a means of building wealth, retaining jobs, and investing in communities across the country. The USFWC represents an estimated 1000 worker cooperatives and their 10,000 workers in the U.S. We have seen these workers, many of which are right here in Oakland, grow in their leadership, financial, and business skills in a diversity of industries. Mandela Grocery, Arizmendi Bakery, Colmenar Cooperative Consulting, Design Action Collective, and Radiate Bay Area are just a few of the worker cooperatives in Oakland which are creating wealth-building opportunities that will enrich the local economy.
Supporting cooperatives should be a ready tool for Oakland to address many of unmet needs in the community, including preserving Oakland jobs and businesses, reducing racial and gender income disparities through access to food and housing cooperatives, and improving job quality and accessibility. We ask that the Oakland City Council fund and support initiatives to create, attract, and retain worker-owned businesses in Oakland, including education and outreach, land-use and tax incentives, investment through grants and low-interest loans, and technical assistance. Thank you for the opportunity to voice our support!