This week we're looking at building worker ownership in the economy from a policy perspective. Given new policies proposed by a host of Democratic Candidates, worker power and inequality are two topics very much on the policy agenda for the 2020 presidential race. Today we're talking about why worker ownership is a particularly unique strategy to addressing both of those challenges and the policies thus far that have entered the discourse. We're joined by Next System Project Policy Associate Peter Gowan, as well as Mo Manklang, Communications Director for the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives. Transcripts of all episodes are available at The Next System Podcast is available at www.thenextsystem.org/podcast.

Ep. 35: The policy approach to mainstream worker ownership

The Next System Podcast is a regular series that examines the systemic challenges facing society today and the bold, systemic solutions that can build the society of tomorrow. Learn more about the Next System Project at www.thenextsystem.org.

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 For a new generation of climate activists, the 50th anniversary of Earth Day is not a day of celebration but a day of mobilization combined with a sober critique of why the ideals of the first Earth Day are still so far from being realized. Gus Speth, co-chair of The Next System Project, was beginning a long career as an environmental activist and leader on the first Earth Day. Dulce Arias is an 18-year-old leader in Youth vs. Apocalypse looking to play a pivotal role in the next 50 years of environmental activism. Together, they discuss what they have learned from the past 50 years and how to apply that knowledge to today’s climate crisis. The Next System Podcast is available on iTunes, Soundcloud, Google Play, Stitcher Radio, Tune-In, and Spotify. You can also subscribe independently to our RSS feed here. 

Episode 47: Earth Day at 50

Dominique Walker left her hometown of East Oakland for university, only to come back to find it gentrified and her neighbors displaced. This week, she shares the story of how she and Moms 4 Housing, an activist group pushing for American recognition of housing as a human right, took direct action against a real estate speculator and reclaimed its property for the people. The Next System Podcast is presented by The Next System Project at The Democracy Collaborative. The Next System Podcast is available on iTunes, Soundcloud, Google Play, Stitcher, Tune-In, and Spotify.You can also subscribe independently to our RSS feed here. The Podcast is hosted by Isaiah J. Poole and produced by Luís Garcia de la Cadena. The music heard on this podcast is "A New Start" by Zoë Blade. ( full transcripts are available at thenextsystem.org/podcast )

EP 46: Direct action, moms, and a housing crisis

As a Black woman leading one of the nation's most prominent philanthropic organizations, La June Montgomery Tabron is taking on the challenge of addressing the impact of systemic racism on families and communities. She talks with Rev. Ronnie Galvin Jr., The Democracy Collaborative's vice president for racial equity and the democratic economy, about the work of truth-telling, racial healing and "looking at the systems that need to shift so that families and children can thrive." The Next System Podcast is presented by The Next System Project at The Democracy Collaborative. The Next System Podcast is available on iTunes, Soundcloud, Google Play, Stitcher Radio, Tune-In, and Spotify. You can also subscribe independently to our RSS feed here. This podcast is hosted by Isaiah J. Poole and produced by Luís García de la Cadena. The music, "A New Start," is by Zoë Blade. Full transcripts of all our episodes are available at www.thenextsystem.org/podcast.

Ep. 45: Racial trauma, healing and reparations

New Belgium Brewing has been held up as a shining example of what could be possible through worker ownership. Bu now that it's been purchased by an international conglomerate, there are new questions about the best strategy and models for turning workers into owners. We talk to Jessica Rose, co-founder of the worker ownership advocacy organization Fifty by Fifty, and to two experts in advancing alternative ownership models, Camille Kerr and Jason Wiener.  The Next System Podcast is presented by The Next System Project at The Democracy Collaborative. The Next System Podcast is available on iTunes, Soundcloud, Google Play, Stitcher Radio, Tune-In, and Spotify. You can also subscribe independently to our RSS feed here. This podcast is hosted by Isaiah J. Poole and produced by Luís García de la Cadena. The music, "A New Start," is by Zoë Blade. Full transcripts of all our episodes are available at www.thenextsystem.org/podcast.

Ep. 44: The end of employee ownership at New Belgium and why it matters

Today's so-called "full-employment economy" still fails millions. We examine the campaign for a federal jobs guarantee and why now is the time to fight for transformative changes in the job market. We talk to Policy Link's Sarah Treuhaft about the "Job Guarantee Now!" campaign PolickLink is helping to lead and Darrick Hamilton of the Kirwan Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity about the systemic transformation of the workforce that would be possible. The Next System Podcast is presented by The Next System Project at The Democracy Collaborative.  The Next System Podcast is available on iTunes, Soundcloud, Google Play, Stitcher Radio, Tune-In, and Spotify. You can also subscribe independently to our RSS feed here. This podcast is hosted by Isaiah J. Poole and produced by Luís García de la Cadena. The music, "A New Start (Radio Edit)," is by Zoë Blade. Full transcripts of all our episodes are available at www.thenextsystem.org/podcast.

Ep. 35: The policy approach to mainstream worker ownership

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