Membership
Membership in the cooperative means you are a legal owner of the company, are entitled to share in the profits of the company, and can participate in our decision making process through Annual General Meetings (AGM’s). AGM’s are held once a year, during which time we present an overview of our operations and elect our Board of Directors. Membership allows you to vote in our elections for the Board, and run for a seat yourself. When you hear the term “Board”, it always means the highest decision-making body of any organization, and this includes the co-op. If you were to look at any company (including in tree planting), the management is ultimately accountable to the owner(s) of the company. Since planting companies are often quite small, this usually refers to a handful of people. If a company grows in size enough, and starts to trade (a majority of) its shares to a larger group of shareholders/owners, then eventually a board forms that represents the collective interests of the shareholders, and will assume the upper-level decision making for the company.
The same is true of the co-op, but instead of some assemblage of owners who in all likelihood don’t work at the company, the Board acts as a democratically elected group that represents the workers, as the owners. And instead of being tied to the conventions of profit-maximization above all else, the culture of the company can set its own priorities for operations. This allows democratic oversight, accountability to the wellbeing of the workforce, and freedom to pursue socio-environmental mandates, without compromising the operating efficiency of the company.
Want to become a member? After anyone is employed by the company and becomes a worker, they are offered membership. To become a member, you must sign a membership agreement, and purchase a minimum number of shares in the company. You don’t have to be a member to work at New Roots, but members, and those who wish to acquire membership, will always be prioritized for hires and opportunities.