By Jason Weiner
October 15, 2024
When the Coop was a small community, the town hall format worked. These days, it doesn’t serve our membership.
We currently have a selective, not a representative democracy: the members who always attend General Meetings, people directly connected to an item and those just there for credit (the unfortunate way to bulk up participation). Members involved in the initial discussion are a completely different group from those who only have about 45 minutes to decide how to vote at a following meeting.
Our main decision-making body is an incomplete composition of approximately 2% of membership. A common complaint we hear is that members weren’t aware a vote or discussion was happening, even with all the ways we promote and disseminate. We should allow everyone to have a voice, be part of our democracy, and stop limiting to a time and format that doesn’t allow full participation at the GM.
It’s time to have all members vote.
I understand the desire to modify the system by going hybrid, which attempts to address some of these issues. However, it doesn’t fix our systems:
– It’s not representative and maintains the selectiveness that is inherently inequitable.
– It’s attempt to be more inclusive actually disenfranchises those without the technology resources to participate and maintains the time constraint that prevents many members’ involvement.
– It creates more work for staff (who will be the ones to bear the burden of managing costly systems that still don’t allow for maximum participation).
We need a change that honors the fundamental right for all members to be heard, if we want to continue this type of governance.
It’s time to make the GM a discussion-only format.
GM credit should be like jury duty (where it becomes your work responsibility for the entire year so members build a greater understanding of these items and it’s not just about increasing participation).
After each discussion, the full membership could access:
- The full recording of the discussion
- A detailed summary
- A pro and con list on any item
- Additional discourse through an online forum
- And most importantly, an opportunity to hear how the hourly paid staff feel on any topic. This Coop belongs to ALL OF US, but it’s the staff’s livelihood and future that is affected by every decision that comes out of the meeting. True community-based governance centers those most impacted within the community.
All this could be online, in the office and even in paper format if needed, so that all members can access. This could be achieved with minimal work (and cost), unlike attempting to manage in-person and online simultaneously with the myriad complications and oversight that a hybrid system would require.
Members need time to actually understand items coming up for vote.
We shouldn’t have to incentivize voting, but I get it. Maybe if members participate in every vote in a calendar year we could give them a bonus credit?
It’s time to bring voting to all. It’s time to change to full accessibility.
Jason Weiner is Membership Coordinator at the Coop.