Yesterday afternoon, the Genesis co-op began roofing their building – this is such a huge step for the co-op. Members talked with students from Bucknell University who are working with them about how excited they were, how relieved, how now it felt like their dream is becoming a reality.
It’s a particularly bittersweet moment for the folks at Genesis, because it comes at a time with the co-op is struggling internally with differences among co-op members, and they’re not yet sure what the result will be.
After the Cone Denim factory shut down in April, a few of the Genesis members began to doubt that the cooperative would ever be operational – with the economic crisis worldwide, if the largest textile plant in the country can’t make it, how could a small co-op like Genesis ever have a chance?
At that time the co-op had stopped construction to have a serious of organizational meetings within the co-op, sorting out legal agreements, powers of attorney, and bank accounts. During those meetings some members began to say that the co-op didn’t have a chance of making it – and they were persuasive. Other members began to lose faith in the project.
After weeks of dealing with differences among co-op members, the folks at Genesis are worn out and saddened. There are now there are two groups within the co-op: 1) those who want to get back to work on the construction and move forward and 2) those who want to dissolve the co-op (and expect monetary remuneration for their work, which is a real bone of contention). The first group has the majority.
Genesis has made the very wise decision to try to work out its differences through mediation carried out by INFOCOOP, the government office in charge of cooperatives. Yesterday both groups attended mediation, but were unable to resolve their differences. They are now in a process of presenting arguments and evidence to INFOCOOP, and then that body will make a decision as to how the co-op is to move forward.
Rosa, one member of the co-op who wants to move forward, told the class from Bucknell University yesterday “we have followed the law, we have tried to allow everyone to express their ideas and tried to respect one another throughout this process. Now we want to move forward.”
This morning Rosa was twenty feet in the air with her compañera Jamileth, passing sheet metal up to put the roof of her cooperative. Rosa and Jamileth believe in their project, and they are doing what it takes to make it become a reality. “I’ve lasted more than two years here,” Jamileth told the Bucknell group. “And we’ve got to get this building up this year and get to work, because to be honest with you, I don’t think I can last another year working without pay. I keep telling my kids ‘I don’t have anything for you now, but by Christmas we’ll be working and I’ll buy you a really nice present.’”
