Trebor Scholz: Stuck in the gig economy? Try platform co-ops instead | TED

TL;DR

In this content, we explore the concept of platform cooperatives, using examples such as Up and Go, Co-op Ride, and Fairbnb, to highlight how this model is providing fairer alternatives to traditional tech platforms and promoting equality in the workplace.

Transcript

Meet Esmeralda Flores. She is a home cleaner in New York City. And like so many home cleaners, she's using a tech platform, an app, to connect to clients. But unlike other home cleaners, she's making $25 an hour, which is twice as much as she used to make at her previous company. And she makes a living wage. There's no algorithmic boss at her compa... Read More

Key Insights

• 🏢 Up and Go, a platform cooperative, pays home cleaners $25 per hour, twice as much as other companies, and allows workers to make decisions on wages, benefits, and operations.
• 🌍 Platform cooperatives are a democratic workplace model that shares governance and ownership among workers, creating a fairer alternative to traditional tech platforms.
• ⚖️ Platform cooperatives like Up and Go do not have fiduciary duties to maximize profit for shareholders, allowing them to pay workers more and prioritize their well-being.
• 🤝 Platform cooperatives encourage shared ownership and decision-making, allowing workers to have an equal say in decision-making processes.
• 🔍 Platform cooperatives can compete against large tech companies by creating small networks of companies and sharing intellectual property while scaling equality.
• 💼 Platform cooperatives like Up and Go provide better conditions and pay for workers, reducing turnover and increasing productivity.
• 💻 Platform cooperatives can transform various sectors, including labor, transportation, short-term rental, care, education, and data, by empowering workers and users.
• 🌍 During times of market failure or government breakdown, people turn to cooperation, forming cooperatives and institutions to address their needs and promote democracy.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is Up and Go and how is it different from other tech platforms?

Up and Go is a tech platform that connects home cleaners with clients in New York City. Unlike other platforms, Up and Go is a "platform cooperative," meaning that the workers, the house cleaners, share the governance and ownership of the platform. They have a say in decision-making processes such as setting wages, determining benefits, and establishing customer charges.

Q: How does Up and Go benefit its workers like Esmeralda Flores?

Up and Go provides its workers, like Esmeralda Flores, with stability and a living wage. Esmeralda earns $25 an hour, which is twice as much as she used to make at her previous company. She receives training in finance, management, and conflict resolution, allowing her to grow professionally. The workers at Up and Go meet regularly to make decisions on company operations, ensuring a democratic workplace.

Q: How do platform cooperatives like Up and Go differ from traditional tech platforms?

Platform cooperatives, such as Up and Go, are different from traditional tech platforms in several ways. Firstly, they prioritize shared ownership and democratic governance, meaning that workers have an equal vote in decision-making processes. Secondly, they aim to scale equality by paying workers fair wages and ensuring there is no fiduciary duty to maximize profit for shareholders. Lastly, platform cooperatives create networks of companies to compete against large tech companies, promoting a more equitable economy.

Q: What are some examples of platform cooperatives outside the labor sector?

Platform cooperatives have the potential to transform various sectors. For example, they can reshape the care sector, culture and the arts, higher education, and the data economy. Cooperative data trusts or social-media cooperatives are possible models. These cooperatives can prioritize user ownership, transparency, and privacy, allowing users to have control over their data and benefiting those who generate the data. The potential for transformation is vast.

Q: How do platform cooperatives scale and what obstacles do they face?

Platform cooperatives don't scale like traditional Silicon Valley companies focused on maximizing profits. Instead, they scale more affordably by creating networks of companies that compete against larger entities. They can also scale quickly by leveraging decentralized crypto networks and blockchain technology. However, they do face challenges in gaining acceptance and understanding, as well as overcoming skepticism about their scalability. Education, entrepreneurship, and collaboration are vital in promoting the growth and success of platform cooperatives.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Up and Go is a platform cooperative that connects home cleaners with clients and gives workers higher wages, stability, and decision-making power.

• Platform co-ops are a type of cooperative that share governance and ownership with workers, allowing them to decide on wages, benefits, and customer charges.

• Platform co-ops like Up and Go are more resilient, productive, and equitable than traditional tech platforms, and can transform various sectors, including labor, transportation, and data.