A New Frontier for Labor Collective Action by Worker Owners

Worker ownership is an old idea that is newly relevant. A crucial reason for ownership that is seldom noted nowadays is its potential to contribute to industrial democracy. Worker ownership is widespread in both the United States and Western Europe. For ownership to translate into influence on corporate governance, workers ’ capital power must be organized collectively. Trade unions can serve this function. In France, Italy, and Germany, unique organizations called worker shareholder associations have come into being with the exercise of workers ’ capital power as their goal