Past Worker Co-op Awardees

A photo of four worker-owners of ChiFresh Kitchen standing on a stage with microphones in the background. The person on the left wears a white collared shirt and a navy suit, holds a certificate and a microphone and smiles into it. The second coworker on the left wears a long sleeve blue striped dress and their hair in a bun of braids and crosses their arms and smiles. The third coworker on the right wears a black blouse and leather skirt and the coworker on the right wears short black braids, a black collared shirt and a bowtie and a gold chain and points and smiles to their coworker with the microphone.

 

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Each year, the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives Worker Co-op Awards recognizes a range of worker-owned businesses and cooperators at the forefront of the movement to create stable, empowering jobs through worker-ownership. Over the years, the awards have celebrated the worker-owned businesses and cooperators who are using their collective power to make our economy more just and our world a better place to live.

Here we present the Worker Co-op Awardees throughout the years:

2022 Awardees

Cooperator of the Year

Zenayda Bonilla

Co-ops of the Year

Alliance Collective – COVID Resiliency
PODER Emma – Commitment to Community
ChiFresh Kitchen – Essential Crisis Responders
Voces de Nashville – Language Justice Leaders
CLEAN Wash Mobile – Industry Disruptors
Collective Uprising LCA – Solidarity Economy Advocates

 

2021 Awardees

Cooperators of the Year

Maria Cruz, Ecomundo Cleaning Worker Cooperative – Cooperator of the Year
Catherine Murcek – Co-op Policy Advocate of the Year 

Co-ops of the Year

Ward Lumber Worker Cooperative – Legacy Co-op Conversion
tilde Language Justice Cooperative – Language Justice Leader
Union Technology Cooperative – Principle Six Cooperator
The Drivers Cooperative – Industry Disruptor
Boston Cleaning Collective – COVID-19 Resiliency
Action OSH LLC – Essential Crisis Responder
Third Root Community Health Center – Commitment to Community 

 

2020 Awardees

Cooperator of the Year

Emerging Leader in a Conversion: Clare Follmann, Orca Books, WA
Advocacy Torchbearer: Kirk Vartan, A Slice of New York, CA
Cross Sector Champion: Gregory Jackson, East Bay Permanent Real Estate Cooperative, CA

Co-op of the Year

Health Justice Champion: ActionOSH (NYC)
Emerging Worker Cooperative: Chi-Fresh Kitchen (IL)
Champion Advocate: Childspace Daycare Centers
Special Recognition: Opportunity Threads, Cooperative Home Care Associates, and The Industrial Commons

 

2019 Awardees

Cooperators of the Year

Kate Khatib  – Champion advocate of worker cooperatives
Adria Powell – Torchbearer inspiration for the movement

Co-ops of the Year

Mirror Beauty Cooperative – Social justice commitment
Brightly Cleaning – Innovation in the Movement
New School of Montpelier – Champion of the Movement

 

2018 Awardees

Cooperators of the Year

Yassi Eskandari-Qajar Champion advocate of worker cooperatives
Elizabeth Arredondo Long time commitment to & leadership within the movement
Mai Nguyen Torchbearer inspiration for the movement

Co-ops of the Year

Caracol Language Cooperative – recognized for their Social Justice Commitment
PV Squared – Long time commitment within the movement
Metis Construction – Emerging worker cooperative

 

2017 Awardees – No Awards

2016 Awardees

Cooperative of the year: Opportunity Threads, North Carolina
Cooperator of the Year: Rebecca Kemble


We thank all of the awardees for their dedication to their communities and to the co-op movement.