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Sustainability Solutions Group Workers Co-operative

Sustainability Solutions Group Workers Co-operative. w. sustainabilitysolutions.ca e. info@sustainabilitysolutions.ca. SSG Mission Statement.

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Sustainability Solutions Group Workers Co-operative

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  1. Sustainability Solutions Group Workers Co-operative w. sustainabilitysolutions.ca e. info@sustainabilitysolutions.ca

  2. SSG Mission Statement SSG is a Canadian workers’ co-operative consulting company, seeking to assist clients in their development of dynamic and innovative tools and strategies for ecologically, economically and socially responsible decision-making and action.

  3. SSG Services 1) Sustainability management service (Sustainability reporting/ assessing, multistakeholder group facilitation, independent review of current practice, etc.) 2)Organizational transformation (Strategic planning, consensus decision-making, transition planning and implementation, etc.) 3) Community economic development; 4) Green building consultation; 5) Financial services (participatory budgeting/planning, full cost accounting, triple bottom line, life cycle analysis, etc.) 6) Research w. sustainabilitysolutions.ca e. info@sustainabilitysolutions.ca

  4. SSG Client Markets 1) Municipalities (Local authorities) 2)Medical institutions (Hospitals, Clinics, and Family Practices) 3)Universities/Colleges 4) SMEs (Small and medium size enterprises) 4) Credit Unions 5) Cooperatives 6) Non-profits w. sustainabilitysolutions.ca e. info@sustainabilitysolutions.ca

  5. SSG culture We aspire toward….. 1) 4 day work week 2)5 weeks of holiday 3) Flat pay scheme, with incentives for long-serving worker members 4) Balanced job complexes 5) Community support fund 6) Sliding scale fees w. sustainabilitysolutions.ca e. info@sustainabilitysolutions.ca

  6. Co-operative Principles and Values Principles 1. Voluntary and Open Membership 2. Democratic Member Control 3. Member Economic Participation 4. Autonomy and Independence 5. Education, Training and Information 6. Co-operation Among Co-operatives 7. Concern for Community Values Self-help Democracy Equality Equity Solidarity w. sustainabilitysolutions.ca e. info@sustainabilitysolutions.ca

  7. Co-op Characteristics 1. Co-operatives are effective in responding to market failures and state crises; 2. Co-operatives provide a trust dimension in the provision of goods and services, and operate along ethical lines; 3. Co-operatives are participatory and empowering and possess flexibility and resilience; 4. Co-operatives build upon self-help and solidarity within the community and enhance social capital; and 5. Co-operatives have greater social efficiency. w. sustainabilitysolutions.ca e. info@sustainabilitysolutions.ca

  8. Steps Toward Making it Happen 2002: - Research 2003: - Federal incorporation under the CCA - Draft by-law development - CWCF membership 2004: - 1st grant application to CDI, was not reviewed - Applied to CWCF for a development grant - Worked with a Coop Developer - Developed a business plan 2005: - 2nd application to CDI, success! - Two worker-members began fulltime - Application to Carrot Cache for small grant w. sustainabilitysolutions.ca e. info@sustainabilitysolutions.ca

  9. Challenges • During Development: • Working together over long distances • All founding members had other meaningful fulltime work • Did not have many other nationally incorporated • service-based models to draw from • Today: • Taking on new staff (contracts or worker-members?) • Creating a market • Finding clients for the more innovative services • Communications (two members are fulltime, two are not • yet working with SSG • Figuring out worker-member shares w. sustainabilitysolutions.ca e. info@sustainabilitysolutions.ca

  10. Some Questions for Discussion • How to market services/products to differentiate ourselves as co-ops? • How are new worker-members accepted? • Member shares – how does it work with other coops? (in order to become a member you have to buy a shares of the coop – how do other people do it? Paying for shares? Sweat equity? How do you ‘buy the share out’ if the worker member leaves?) • By-law examples? (Maybe CWCF could keep a database for reference?) w. sustainabilitysolutions.ca e. info@sustainabilitysolutions.ca

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