Illinois Proposal Aims To Empower Worker Co-Ops

Co-ops allow their employees to also be the owners. But state law doesn’t recognize them as a business entity, which makes it hard to get financial backing.

State Rep. Carol Ammons, a Democrat from Urbana, is sponsoring legislation that would change that.

“It’s very difficult for traditional banking institutions to work with a cooperative model, unless we correct the legal definition of cooperatives,” Ammons said.

Advocates say worker co-ops create dignified jobs with living wages in areas with low employment.

Listen to the report at NPR Illinois

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