R 197 |
2019 -- H 5962 Enacted 04/04/2019 |
H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N |
PROCLAIMING APRIL 30, 2019, AS "THE STATE DAY OF THE COOPERATIVE" IN RHODE ISLAND |
Introduced By: Representatives Maldonado, Tobon, Shekarchi, Slater, and Kennedy |
Date Introduced: April 04, 2019 |
WHEREAS, Worker-owned cooperatives are business enterprises that are owned and |
governed by their employees and have two common characteristics, member-owners invest in and |
own the business together and share the enterprise's profits, and decision-making is democratic, |
with each member having one vote; and |
WHEREAS, In 2012, the United Nations declared "The Year of Cooperatives" and |
encouraged governments "to establish policies, laws, and regulations conducive to cooperative |
formation and growth"; and |
WHEREAS, Rhode Island provided for the creation of Worker-Owned Cooperatives as a |
recognized form of business incorporation with unique characteristics, through legislation that |
allows workers and investors to form workers' cooperatives and specifically aimed at |
empowering workers; and |
WHEREAS, Worker-Owned Cooperatives have a long and proud history of building |
wealth, security, equality, resiliency, solidarity, and hope for individuals and families, especially |
in those communities and among those populations historically disadvantaged; and |
WHEREAS, Because Worker-Owned Cooperatives are owned by their workers, they |
concentrate as much on creating lasting and meaningful employment and good, healthy working |
conditions as they do on generating profits for the owners/workers; and |
WHEREAS, Worker-Owned Cooperatives have as their express purpose and charter the |
increase of equity, participation in democratic governance, control of working conditions, |
security, and control of economic destiny for their members; and |
WHEREAS, The diverse communities of Rhode Island offer myriad opportunities for |
entrepreneurship, innovation, development, and investment by Worker-Owned Cooperatives, |
whose members hail directly from those communities and whose business activities directly serve |
those communities and whose actions are directly accountable to those communities; and |
WHEREAS, Conversion of businesses to Worker-Owned Cooperatives to avoid closure |
or sale to out-of-state entities, represents a sound and creative response by this State to the |
inevitable retirement of Rhode Island small business owners; now, therefore be it |
RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island and |
Providence Plantations hereby proclaims April 30, 2019, as "The State Day of the Cooperative" |
in order to celebrate and promote the proliferation and growth of Worker-Owned Cooperatives in |
our State - businesses which have demonstrated the ability to bring "the economic benefits of a |
fulfilling life with a good job" along with dignity and self-determination, to individuals and |
communities around the State; and be it further |
RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to |
transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Fuerza Laboral/Power of Workers. |
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LC002359 |
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