Is hierarchy the enemy of co-operation?
https://www.thenews.coop/112205/sector/hierarchy-enemy-co-operation/
"Suma operates equal wage rates for all workers
Co-operatives should be about co-operation not hierarchy, says Bob Cannell, formerly of Suma workers co-operative. How can co-ops create alternatives to hierarchical management structures?
Many people treat hierarchical authority as something as natural as breathing and deride those who dream and practise ways of living and doing business ‘sans’ hierarchy."
If you want to seriously change inequality there is a small thing you can do. Support a small southern US black owned coop so they can pasteurize their awesome pecan milk to have a longer shelf life so they can ship it. https://pecanmilk.com/ This coop must survive but they are in a catch-22 where they do not make enough to qualify for a loan. Their product is so good that it will be a sustainable coop venture. Without us they have no real way out. Ideas are welcomed.
Today:
cleaned: one haystack of donated bikes and wheels into neat little useable rows
given away: one rack, two wheels, one axle, several hours of volunteer mechanic time
sold: two tires, two brake pads
sorted: scrap into separate piles of recyclable steel and aluminum and tires
taught: four!! students in need!! from commuters-to-work to crashed Iron Man racers on a non class day
seen: equal amounts of new and old faces
Proud of us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
When people narrow their relationships to hierarchical relations they risk to leave a large part of their brains inactive. They become blunt. The reason why hierarchical systems in history did lead to disasters is not only because of the stupidity of autocrats but also because of the brain laziness of their followers no longer practicing reverse dominance hierarchy. To step after a flag is that more easy than maintaining reciprocated relationships of trust and obligation.
https://bit.ly/2ZdSqEv
some local history: "Crazy TV Lenny" banked on the reputation of Italian bikes when he had 100,000 "Firenze" bikes (NOT Italian) produced to give away as an advertising stunt... theyre still popping up out of people's garages and making it to our recycle pile.
He runs an e-bike store these days and we use his secondhand cardboard for shipping :)
I herd some of you are in the madison area: come volunteer Sunday to break down and recycle damaged bikes! #bikeshop
Met with a visiting volunteer-friend-of-the-shop to talk about grant applications and fundraising strategy :o #bikeshop #nonprofit #hockeystickgrowth
! Batch Bakehouse did a genuine apology on social media just now, with a promise to fund a city driver/cyclist safety education program.
I worry about cancel culture, because material amends like this means they could turn out to be a good ally in the city.
(jokes about paying us off with very good bread are still allowed, but I'm excited to see something positive come out of this) #bikesafety #conflictresolution
the delivery driver and co-owner of https://www.facebook.com/BatchBakehouse/ deliberately threatened and endangered a cyclist's life yesterday, because they were unhappy with this person driving lawfully in the full lane width of a bike boulevard. Please help us call them to account until this person takes responsibility for what he did and makes amends. Negative reviews on yelp, google, etc mentioning this episode will help show them consequences of these actions.#bike #cycling #velopunk #bikeshop
@freewheelbikesmadison I painted a crosswalk in the middle of the night once, and ten years later they actually improved the crossing.
grateful to today's volunteers for teaching the free mechanics class, hooking up some neighborhood kids too young to do all the work themselves with some bikes, and sorting a huge haystack of bikes destined to be passed on to African neighbors.
I could be frustrated about what can't be accomplished today but I'm trying to focus on how miraculous what we do get done can be.
@freewheelbikesmadison moar critical masses!
a nonprofit open bicycle shop offering free classes and bike giveaways. Transportation access and maintenance should be in our own hands. Madison, WI USA