CO-OPTING PRECARIOUSNESS: CAN WORKER COOPERATIVES BE ALTERNATIVES TO PRECARIOUS EMPLOYMENT FOR MARGINALIZED POPULATIONS? A CASE STUDY OF IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE WORKER COOPERATIVES IN CANADA

Abstract

This article seeks to analyze whether, or to what degree, workercooperatives are providing immigrant and refugee populations in Canada witha viable alternative to precarious employment, andif so, in what ways. Much ofthe existing research on precarious employment is limited in that it fails toaddress the root causes of precarious employments and fails to offer solutions oralternatives that can be organized by workers themselves, today. While severalchallenges remain to organizing and sustaining worker cooperatives, thecooperatives studied were successful in creating analternative space ofemployment that provided control and flexibility over their work and lives anda sense of community and empowerment. More researchis needed to bettersupport and facilitate the development of cooperatives to truly harness thepotential for the model.