Solution-Worker Cooperatives
Worker Ownership Grows Local Economies
Worker ownership has a proven record of greater success, productivity, and worker empowerment than the boss-worker model. Worker-owned cooperative businesses improve pay, benefits, and working conditions. Worker owned cooperatives are good for all communities, but especially those that are suffering from decades of disinvestment.
Maryland already has some worker-owned businesses, and cities have experimented with start-up assistance in the past.. Still Maryland law does not recognize worker-owned cooperatives, treating them like LLCs and corporations.This makes it difficult and legally complicated for cooperatives to start and grow. I will work with the general assembly to pass common sense laws that will give statutory recognition to worker ownership, provide additional technical support to cooperative businesses, and make it easier to create and run healthy worker owned cooperatives.
As Governor I will take every opportunity to rebuild local economies by clearing the barriers that hold back workers from forming and running worker owned community based business.