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WHEREAS, an autonomous association of people united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically controlled enterprise is known as a "cooperative"; and,
WHEREAS, Cooperatives foster democratic decision-making and entrepreneurship for all, including lowering the barrier-to-entry for newer businesses, prioritizing small and local sourcing, empowering individuals through shared ownership and cultivating local leaders who steward their business in the community long term; and,
WHEREAS, Cooperatives act as anchor businesses in the community, allowing profits to be equitably re-circulated to local stakeholders, ensuring that community members have a direct stake in the success of their businesses, and provide a stable source of jobs, wealth across generations, and studies show that worker co-ops often retain workers longer than traditional businesses; and,
WHEREAS, Cooperatives contribute to sustainable economic growth and stable, quality employment, providing jobs to 280 million people around the world, or 10% of the global population; and,
WHEREAS, Large cities like Philadelphia, PA, New York, NY, Chicago, IL, California's Bay Area, and Madison, WI, are all investing in programs focused on strategic outreach, community education, legislative support, and technical and financial assistance to support cooperatives in their mission to build equitable wealth across the community; and,
WHEREAS, Pittsburgh is home to over 70 co-ops, ranging from bicycle couriers and food stores to construction, credit unions, housing cooperatives, and shared service cooperatives; and,
WHEREAS, The first cooperative on record in Pittsburgh was founded by artisans in 1819 at Front Street and Wood Streets and known as the Pittsburgh Manufacturers Association, helping its members thrive in a newly industrializing economy for decades afterwards; and,
WHEREAS, Pittsburgh has led the cooperative mo...
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