What should transparency mean at our co-op? There’s not necessarily a simple answer to that. But at the moment, we’re finding out what it means in practice. Our co-op bylaws are very generous about owner access to information, but the board of directors recently denied a request for figures on managerial salaries. Why?
For River Valley owners, a loss of trust
Because this is a co-op, we’ve made assumptions about how it’s being run, including how our workers are being treated. And as we find out that some of those assumptions are wrong, we’re confused and disappointed. There’s a loss of trust. Some people have even stopped shopping at the co-op.