Construction Cooperatives 

This workshop will explore different ways of setting up and operating construction businesses as worker cooperatives. While this workshop will look at worker cooperatives and the construction businesses in general, it will focus on the specifics of being in the construction business as a worker cooperative. Specific topics covered will include insurance issues, banking, bonding, union interaction, management models, compensation models, market niches, growth and training.

Jim Levang is a ten year member of Builders Commonwealth, a design-build general contracting cooperative in Duluth, MN with more than thirty five members and more than thirty years of history. Jim had twenty-some years experience as a professional woodworker before moving into estimating, sales and management of Builders’ cabinet shop. He is in his third term as President of Builders Commonwealth. Sue Bob has worked with Community Builders Cooperative, a nine-member design, construction, and cabinetry cooperative in the Boston area, since 1980. In 2005, Sue received her Masters degree in Community Economic Development from Southern New Hampshire University. Since 2005, Sue has been a member of the Eastern Coordinating Council for the Eastern Conference for Workplace Democracy, and is looking forward to the next ECWD conference in '09!