UPDATE: Volume 2 is now AVAILABLE! Get your copy here!
Worx is proud to let you know that “Humanity@Work&Life” – volume two, “Humanity@Work&Life, New Directions for the Social Economy”, (Oak Tree Press, October 24, 2025), is available to purchase.
Similar to “Humanity@Work&Life” volume one, volume two is “Mondragon in the World” – centric (https://www.mondragoncorporation.com/en/) marking UN-designated 2025, International Year of Cooperatives. The January 2025 mission launch of the Arizmendiarrieta Social Economy Think Tank (ASETT – News & media – ASETT) accompanies and accelerates MONDRAGON’s emphasis on demonstrating relevant, uplifting systemic change within the framework of a rising, fully inclusive, global social economy. Both volumes collectively represent 100 contributors and co-developers from seven countries (Spain, Mexico, USA, South Korea, UK, Republic of Ireland, Malaysia), on three continents (Europe, North America, Asia). Generations participating: Boomers, X, Millennials, Z. By design, all co-editor royalties are reinvested into the ongoing Humanity@Work&Life series, produced and co-edited by two people we consider to be leading the frontlines of the workers’ rights movement: Dr. Christina Clamp and Michael A. Peck.
The first volume, “Humanity@Work&Life: Global Diffusion of the Mondragon Cooperative Ecosystem Experience” (Oak Tree Press, March 27, 2023), includes a chapter featuring Worx as a case study example of a worker owned union co-op. That chapter, “Toward Workplace Control: Collaboration Between Labor Unions & Worker Co-ops,” was written by Mary Hoyer from the University of Massachusetts and Rebecca Lurie of the CUNY School of Labor & Urban Studies.
About Mondragon: Mutualist and Regenerative Development
Mondragon is:
- The world’s benchmark industrial and socio-economic cooperative model;
- A living laboratory guided by solidarity, capable of regeneration and prototyping;
- 70 years of history: from the ruins of war to shared prosperity.
No other industrial cooperative or social economy ecosystem has achieved such results. And above all: this model can be exported in diverse and global ways, as demonstrated in Volume 1.
In the face of global polycrises, Mondragon’s values demonstrate that inclusive and regenerative development is not only possible but necessary. This model, grounded in concrete mutualist achievements, now inspires the design of regional and municipal reconstruction plans whose relevance and urgency have never been greater. Mondragon is a real source of inspiration for building the future.
During the May 26-30/2026 timeframe, ASETT and the Humanity@Work& Life Team led a Social Economy Roadshow to NYC, Boston, West Bridgeport/MA & Manchester/NH (four cities/five days). Key institutional Roadshow contributors included: Boston’s Local Enterprise Assistance Fund- LEAF, the American Sustainable Business Network – ASBN, CUNY Law School’s Community Economic Development Clinic – CEDC, the Greater Boston Labor Council – GBLC), Catholic Charities USA, Urban Homesteading Assistance Board – UHAB, Manufacturing Renaissance and 1worker1vote. Over 450 worker-owners, Cooperative and Labor leaders, public officials, scholars, social justice impact funders, teampreneurs, students, organizers & advocates met with ASETT/H@W&L during five days of Social Economy “thinking, learning, sharing & doing.”
- Inigo Albizuri, ASETT General Director: “One of the most important goals of the Roadshow has been not to suggest that one system is simply “better” than another, but rather to demonstrate that different economic realities are possible — and that some of them, like MONDRAGON, have proven capable of functioning successfully within a highly competitive global market economy while still preserving democratic governance, solidarity, long-term commitment, and community roots. That, in many ways, is the core mission of ASETT: not to “export” a closed model, but to help extend and adapt these kinds of experiences to other places, always through local leadership, local ecosystems, and local ownership. After many decades of accumulated learning, we now have tools, methodologies, networks, and shared knowledge that can hopefully help others accelerate their own journeys. And perhaps this is precisely where our current interconnected world becomes an enormous advantage. Today, ideas, practices, and collaborations can travel faster and deeper than ever before. If approached with humility and mutual learning, this interconnected reality can help us collectively build more democratic, resilient, and human-centered economic ecosystems across very different contexts.”
- David Levine, President & Cofounder, American Sustainable Business Network: “The recent visit of leaders of ASETT to the USA is an important step forward in building the broad collaboration needed to drive the solutions that a social economy can provide. Now we will get to work to further coalesce the social economy leaders in the US and solidify the partnership with ASETT-H@W&L to take the necessary actions to build a social economy.”
- Professor Carmen Huertas Noble, Founding Director of CUNY Law School’s Community Economic Development Clinic (CEDC): “This convening drew together a room that reflected the democratic economy our communities deserve and have long been organizing toward: worker-owners, cooperative leaders, public officials, scholars, students, organizers, and advocates learning from one another, building with each other, and advancing models of collective ownership, community stewardship, public accountability, and cooperation among cooperatives. The Mondragon ecosystem demonstrates that scalable cooperative development begins with education, formation, shared purpose, and institutions willing to build for the long term.” “This is a moment of real possibility for New York. We have the talent, the organizing, the legal tools, and the public leadership. The question now is how we grow these models with the right infrastructure, in ways rooted in dignity, democratic governance, community stewardship, and racial and economic justice. As a community and economic development lawyer, I know that values become real when they move from aspiration into structures, agreements, budgets, governance, implementation, and practice, and when communities have the power to shape, govern, and enforce the agreements made in their name.”
- Dr. Christina Clamp, Professor Emerita – Southern New Hampshire University, Board Chair – Local Enterprise Assistance Fund, H@W&L co-editor, and NYC/Boston Social Economy Roadshow co-organizer: “The ASETT-H@W&L New York and Boston Roadshow brought together social and solidarity educators and activists to learn about ASETT and MONDRAGON as well as sharing and learning about the work of others. In these troubled times, this has generated new hope and energy to continue the work of creating transformation while drawing inspiration from MONDRAGON and ASETT. It was great to see the learning exchanges that transpired through the public interactive events as well as through visits to UHAB, a developer of housing cooperatives; Park Slope Food Cooperative; Equal Exchange, a fair-trade coffee worker co-op; and CCA Global, a shared services cooperative. As cooperators this was a great illustration of why there is much value in cooperation amongst cooperatives. “
The annual ASETT Policy Forum organizes a shared Social Economy best practices “living lab” for aligned cities and their leadership from around the world. The second annual ASSET Social Economy Policy Forum, by invitation, takes place on November 12–13, 2026, in San Sebastián/Basque Country, Spain – https://www.asett.org/en/forum-ii/. The ASETT Forum convenes cities at most relevant transformational leadership & innovation levels committed to inclusive growth and democratic economic renewal and organizes project side visits to Mondragon, Bilbao and San Sebatian (NOV 09-10-11). ASETT’s inaugural Policy Forum in May 2025 gathered more than 400 leading European and international Social Economy practitioners and showcased 38 success stories organized into key social challenge areas including NYC’s and Barcelona’s Affordable Housing Innovations (example: ASETT MAY 2025 Policy Forum re NYC & Global Affordable-Cooperative-Mutualist Housing – case study.pdf).
Father Jose Maria Arizmendiaretta, Founder of MONDRAGON:
“Cooperatives must not be closed worlds, but instead centres of social radiation. We do not live in a world we have conquered but in a battlefield for social justice and for a more human and just order.”
Please consider sharing information about this new publication series with allies, networks, ecosystems, colleagues, competitors and even adversaries. Anyone interested in workplace equity and democracy needs to read and join the “Humanity@Work& Life” social economy community!