Of course. Being a member of such a project entails many challenges, both individually and collectively. It involves answering many questions, which are sometimes very difficult since they stand face to face as contradictions to be resolved.
> Did you join because of the coop?
It was important to me that my work be carried out in a cooperative, both for the way things were done and the long-term sustainability of the project.
> How much are people in Mondragon aware/proud of the coop status? Do some just not care?
This question is difficult to answer, given that we are 40 cooperatives and 70,000 people directly involved. (https://www.mondragon-corporation.com/people/en/about-us/) Within each cooperative, there are different ways and realities, and this also impacts the connection to the project. Some people opt for the project from a more ideological perspective and others from a labor perspective, and in this sector, there are people with little connection to the project. Within Mondragon, we have our own university, and there is a department dedicated to studying the reality of the Mondragon project. You may be able to find interesting papers and research on the topic on their website: https://lanki.mondragon.edu/en/home
> Do the management/discussion part of the work take a lot of time?
Within each cooperative, there are different organizational structures, as each cooperative is autonomous in managing its internal structure. Typically, two structures are distinguished: productive and organizational. The productive responds to day-to-day operational needs. The organizational or social structure focuses on member participation. Remember that we are employment cooperatives, as you can only become a member if you work for the same cooperative, and you cease to be one the moment you leave. Participation times in these forums can vary greatly from cooperative to cooperative, ranging from two hours a month to two hours a week.
> I would love to have something similar around where I live (Isère, France) to do industrial robotics. Any tips on how to start? Does Mondragon help seed other coops?
First of all, I want to tell you that I love the Isere region. The Ecrins are a wonderful area for mountaineering, another passion of mine. Giving some tips from a current perspective is difficult, since I joined a consolidated project with a few years of experience. I think the biggest difference to clarify is the aforementioned consumer and worker cooperative. In our case, there are no investing members like in food purchasing cooperatives. And this is sometimes difficult to understand from the perspective of more general consumer cooperatives. Mondragon doesn't encourage the creation of other projects in other countries, as cultural differences and lack of precise knowledge of the methods used make the process very difficult. What it does offer are knowledge courses and a 10-day stay to learn about the project locally.
https://www.mondragon.edu/en/keys-mondragon-cooperative-experience
I don't know if I've clarified your doubts. If you'd like, we can continue discussing the topic.
> Do you like the member status?
Of course. Being a member of such a project entails many challenges, both individually and collectively. It involves answering many questions, which are sometimes very difficult since they stand face to face as contradictions to be resolved.
> Did you join because of the coop?
It was important to me that my work be carried out in a cooperative, both for the way things were done and the long-term sustainability of the project.
> How much are people in Mondragon aware/proud of the coop status? Do some just not care?
This question is difficult to answer, given that we are 40 cooperatives and 70,000 people directly involved. (https://www.mondragon-corporation.com/people/en/about-us/) Within each cooperative, there are different ways and realities, and this also impacts the connection to the project. Some people opt for the project from a more ideological perspective and others from a labor perspective, and in this sector, there are people with little connection to the project. Within Mondragon, we have our own university, and there is a department dedicated to studying the reality of the Mondragon project. You may be able to find interesting papers and research on the topic on their website: https://lanki.mondragon.edu/en/home
> Do the management/discussion part of the work take a lot of time?
Within each cooperative, there are different organizational structures, as each cooperative is autonomous in managing its internal structure. Typically, two structures are distinguished: productive and organizational. The productive responds to day-to-day operational needs. The organizational or social structure focuses on member participation. Remember that we are employment cooperatives, as you can only become a member if you work for the same cooperative, and you cease to be one the moment you leave. Participation times in these forums can vary greatly from cooperative to cooperative, ranging from two hours a month to two hours a week.
> I would love to have something similar around where I live (Isère, France) to do industrial robotics. Any tips on how to start? Does Mondragon help seed other coops?
First of all, I want to tell you that I love the Isere region. The Ecrins are a wonderful area for mountaineering, another passion of mine. Giving some tips from a current perspective is difficult, since I joined a consolidated project with a few years of experience. I think the biggest difference to clarify is the aforementioned consumer and worker cooperative. In our case, there are no investing members like in food purchasing cooperatives. And this is sometimes difficult to understand from the perspective of more general consumer cooperatives. Mondragon doesn't encourage the creation of other projects in other countries, as cultural differences and lack of precise knowledge of the methods used make the process very difficult. What it does offer are knowledge courses and a 10-day stay to learn about the project locally. https://www.mondragon.edu/en/keys-mondragon-cooperative-experience
I don't know if I've clarified your doubts. If you'd like, we can continue discussing the topic.