Democracy in the Workplace:

Three Worker-Owned Businesses in Action

Bronze Apple. National Educational MediaNetwork Film Festival, 1999
First Place, Documentary Category, 7th Annual SmokyMountain Media Festival

In this half hour video, theworker-owners of three Bay Area businesses show what it's like to workcollectively and deal with problems in a truly democratic way. Thesebusinesses are managed solely by their employees.

• The Cheeseboard was founded in Berkeley in 1967and has 25 members.
• Rainbow Grocery in San Francisco was started in 1976and now has 150 members.
• Inkworks of Berkeley began in 1974 and is a printshop with 18 members.

There are over 200 worker-owned collectively run businesses in theUnited States. They operate as true workplace democracies. Eachworker owner has an equal voice in their operations.

• This is a sparkling, up-beat, insightfulpresentation, well worth showing.
  Bernard from Inkworks
• We lend the video to people who want to join ourcollective. It saves us a lot of time.
  Terry at Arizmendi Bakery.
• This is the best video on collectives that I've seen.
  Kim Coontz, Center on Cooperatives, U.C. Davis

For information about Cooperatives andCollectives, contact

The Center forCooperatives, University of California-Davis
University of WisconsinCenter for Cooperatives
The Network of Bay AreaWorker Co-operatives (NoBAWC, pronounced "no boss")

Videographers: Margot Smith and BobPurdy
On-line editor: Ashley James, Searchlight Video

VHS or DVD, 28 Minutes