ALTRUISM IN ACTION: THE ARIZMENDI ASSOCIATION OF COOPERATIVES
by Melanie Bowden
When you bite into a muffin from an Arizmendi bakery, you’re benefiting from a connection to the Basque region of northern Spain. These Oakland, San Francisco, and Emeryville bakeries are named after Father José María Arizmendiarrieta Madariaga (his name is thankfully often shortened to Arizmendi), the founder of the Mondragon Cooperative Movement.
After the Spanish Civil War, Arizmendi was sent to the Basque region. The area was suffering great economic difficulties, particularly high unemployment. Arizmendi wanted to help his congregants and felt that cooperatives were the best way to bring about economic development.
He began with a school that was open to all young people in the area. Graduates of the school set up their first cooperative business in 1956. What is now called the Mondragon Cooperative Corporation has grown into more than 100 worker-owned businesses with a workforce over 34,000.
BUILDING ON SUCCESSFUL COOPERATIVE MODELS
In 1994 Steve Sutcher (a member of CBC—the Cheese Board Collective), Tim Huet, and Jaques Kaswan began investigating why there weren’t more cooperatives in the United States. The Cheese Board is a worker-owned cheese shop and bakery in Berkeley that opened in 1967. It is based on the principles that all workers should have equal power and work for equal wages.
After visiting Europe to study the Mondragon cooperatives of Spain and also the thriving co-ops found in Italy, “We found that successful projects grew from filling a niche in a community, duplicating other co-ops that were working, and being part of a larger cooperative network,” says Huet, a board member for the California Center for Cooperative Development.
Since the Cheese Board had been launching other collectives since the 1970s, the three men conducted a feasibility study on replicating Cheese Board business concepts. “We asked CBC if they would support us starting a bakery in Oakland that duplicated their cooperative model,” Huet says.
The CBC agreed and provided generous help. They shared recipes, trained people in their bakery, opened the bakery on days it was normally closed, and allowed trainees to sell goods—a big risk for them since it could have lowered their reputation in the community if the trainees didn’t produce quality products.
PAYING IT FORWARD ONE CO-OP AT A TIME
To support the opening and operation of the Oakland bakery and to develop future co-ops, the Arizmendi Association of Cooperatives was formed. The Association provides financial and legal services, organizational and facilitation trainings, and mediation and conflict resolution assistance to cooperatives in its network. They also link with other cooperatives for mutual support and educate the larger community about co-ops.
Each new Arizmendi bakery commits to helping open other cooperatives and pays 25% of its profits into the Association.
The first Arizmendi bakery opened in the Lakeshore area of Oakland in 1997. The San Francisco bakery followed in 2000 and the Emeryville store in 2003. The Association is currently exploring a future site in San Carlos.
Bridget Berrigan, a founder and baker at the Lakeshore bakery, says, “All of us were involved in helping train the San Francisco Arizmendi folks. It’s fun to pass along the knowledge and the torch.”
COOPERATIVE PRINCIPLES = HAPPY WORKERS AND CUSTOMERS
According to Huet, starting pay rates range from $15 to $18 an hour (each bakery sets their rates) and worker/owners participate in profit-sharing. All worker/owners receive health, education, and disability benefits. The majority of them work part-time, usually three to four shifts a week. Turnover is very low and every worker has an equal say in making decisions.
"Knowing about the Cheese Board made me realize there was a better and more humane way to be,” Berrigan adds. “That was by being a worker in a democratic workplace … I love the camaraderie and the insights that come from working with a group. It is such an incredible way to learn more about yourself by working with this microcosm of society.”
Garrick Brackbill has worked at the Lakeshore bakery for over eight years. He says, “Financial benefits are better than most other baking/food service jobs. There is an opportunity for creative input into production and business decisions. Also opportunities for skill development in various areas, and personal development in general.”
Bread, pastry, and pizza are available at the bakeries. Each location makes a unique daily gourmet pizza with organic sourdough crust and fresh seasonal vegetables. Daily Pizza Calendars are posted online and in the stores, and customers line up waiting for the first pizzas of the day.
Along with her love of her job, Berrigan values “the joy of baking good bread and pastries that make people happy.” Father Arizmendi would be proud.
Arizmendi Association of Cooperatives
1904 Franklin St., #204
Oakland, CA 94612
(510) 834-2221
www.arizmendi.coop
The Cheese Board Collective:
Bread and Cheese:
1504 Shattuck Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94709
(510) 549-3183
Pizza:
1512 Shattuck Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94709
(510) 549-3055
www.cheeseboardcollective.coop
Arizmendi Bakeries:
Arizmendi Oakland
3265 Lakeshore Avenue
Oakland, CA
(510) 268-8849
Arizmendi San Francisco
1331 Ninth Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94122
(415) 566-3117
http://www.arizmendibakery.org
Arizmendi Emeryville
4301 San Pablo Avenue
Emeryville, CA 94608
(510) 547-0550
www.arizmendi-bakery.org