N E W S L E T T E R Earthworker Cooperative Cooperative News Ethical investment options now available with Earthworker! Earthworker is now offering debentures to all members at an impressive return of 12%. The debentures form a key part of Earthworker's business strategy to mutualise the Everlast factory in Dandenong, securing it as Australia's first manufacturing worker-cooperative. This is an exclusive opportunity to invest in a sustainable future and local job security. If you have been Earthworker Newsletter - November 2014 looking for a way to invest your money ethically and make a great return on your investment, this is it. carefully before investing in the debentures. Please contact us for a copy of the The funds acquired through the disclosure statement and with any debentures will also fund salaries for enquiries you may have about this two full time staff at Earthworker. exciting offer. Anyone who is not a current member is encouraged to join now to make the most of this exciting offer. Visit the membership page for details: http:// earthworkercooperative.com.au/ membership/ Sarah Lutherborrow Dave Gets A Bolt-On! Recently Earthworkers ran a secret internal crowdfunding campaign to get our wonderful project officer Dave Kerin and his partner Barb, an Earthworker solar hot water system. Members will be receiving a package including full details of the offer, so The arrival of the tank came as a keep an eye on your inbox! We surprise to both Barb and Dave, who encourage you to read through Article continued on Page 3 1 E A R T H W O R K E R C O O P E R A T I V E Leaving Behind Business As Usual This month an anonymous guest author has contributed an inspired piece of writing under the alias Earthwoker73. Millions of people across the globe increasingly understand that we are living in a time of climate emergency, many of whom also share an understanding on some level that our systems are breaking down. In democratic countries such as Australia, the major political parties act as two sides of the same coin, two management teams that benefit equally from the status quo and act in unison as the HR Department for privately owned banks, big energy, corporations and a small group of elites. What is clear for all who want to see it, is that our systems are destroying the planet and threatening our existence. Earthworkers agree that action is now the only option. We can no longer ignore the pillaging of the planet that gives us life. The “growth at all costs” economic model cannot be sustained. Corporate greed and private ownership of natural resources and the means of production are accepted as 2 just the way it is. Earthworker cooperative says no, it's not business as usual - we can do it differently and we can do it better. We can push the reset button and take stock of the environment and how we are part of it, or we can stick to the business as usual plan and sit back and wait for the planet to shake us off. One of the strengths of Earthworker is that we are a collective that unites people who are committed to a wide range of issues both disparate and connected. For many the impact of fossil fuels is a primary concern, so Earthworker is focused on building the infrastructure for the transition to renewables. Others are disappointed by the managed decline of manufacturing in Australia. Earthworker is committed to creating jobs in manufacturing renewable energy products locally. It is an opportunity to put our labour to work in a way that benefits local communities and creates both a sustainable economy and protects the environment. Earthworker is a new hope for those of us that understand that calling for change and waiting for government to represent our interests is futile. We can build the solutions ourselves one factory, one community at a time. Collectively we have the knowledge, skills and numbers, we built and maintain this system, we can do it again. The cooperative model can change the way we view the workplace. The sense of control and ownership can also influence the way we see ourselves within the community and society at large. Cooperatives can contextualise and inspire a world view that is strongly tethered to a sense of community, inter connectivity with each other, our environment, the planet and life it's self. If we wake up in time and truly start to tackle climate change, cooperatives will be part of the solution as will reclaiming ownership of our natural resources, nationalising bank services and energy sectors. The revolution will be decentralised. Featured Artwork: Beehive Design Collective “The True Cost of Coal”, 2011. Earthworker Newsletter - November 2014 E A R T H were delighted when Gareth from PJT Plumbing arrived to complete the installation. Earthworker secretary Dan Musil put forward the idea, with all active members supporting the initiative, and with many contributing financially according to their means. W O R K E R C O O P Climate Warrior Mikaele Maiava of Tokelau, who was surrounded by 80 protestors, including Earthworkers. Occupiers spent the day singing, dancing, chanting and storytelling, while hundreds of ANZ staff members watched on. ANZ is the largest financier of destructive fossil fuel projects in this It was a real testament to the sense of country, including the expansion of the Whitehaven Coal Mine. loyalty within the Earthworker community, but most importantly it Mikaele spoke movingly of the was a great way of thanking Dave threat rising sea levels present to his and Barb for the years of tireless island nation, stating that “The commitment they have given to the inconvenience experienced by ANZ project, and to the greater good. workers today from this occupation Melissa Corbett is nothing compared to the loss of my home in the Pacific!” E R A T I V E Melissa Corbett Activist Arts Festival The Activist Arts Festival brought together activist groups throughout Melbourne and enabled them to engage with the community in a non-protest environment. The event exhibited different forms of activism through art: photography, music, spoken word, paintings and film. Held at Trades Hall, a variety of films, panel discussions and live performances happened in the Bella Union bar. An all-day exhibition was held in a room adjacent to Bella Union, with space for festival attendees to sit The occupation was a transformative amongst the artworks and perhaps Earthworkers Support Pacific create their own art or craft pieces in experience for those present. Many Climate Warriors the space. of us were inspired by the courage and wisdom of the Pacific Climate Last month, Pacific Climate Warriors On display were a range of works, Warriors, who we all have so much from 12 Pacific Island nations rowed including a photography exhibit to learn from as we continue to out in traditional canoes to blockade documenting the West Papua campaign for climate justice. the world’s largest coal port in Freedom Flotilla, a hand knitted Newcastle, Australia. banner that was created for the antiAbbott government March in March They were joined by many local protests, and a video installation supporters on the beach and in small piece by artist-in-residence at rafts to form a flotilla that prevented Friends of the Earth Sophia ‘Flo’ a number of ships transporting coal Dacy-Cole. from entering the port. This brave action demonstrated to the world Also on display was the that Pacific Islanders are not collaborative work Rites of Passage. drowning, they are fighting. Exhibition at the Activist Arts Festival at Trades Hall The piece features a series of open A number of other solidarity actions Earthworkers will always stand in suitcases where viewers can listen to were held at capital cities around solidarity with indigenous peoples audio recordings of the personal Australia, including an all day globally as they struggle against new stories of asylum seekers while occupation of the Melbourne waves of dispossession resulting viewing a range of hand crafted headquarters of ANZ. from corporate greed and anthropogenic climate change. Continued Page 4 The occupation was led by Pacific Community Earthworker Newsletter - November 2014 3 E A R T H W O R K E R C O O P E R A T I V E images inside the suitcase. The project was overseen by visual artist Sonia Tomasiello. copies for your organisation, please contact Dave Kerin at: [email protected] The festival was a celebration of the important contribution Melbourne’s creative community makes to the various social movements. Calling all Green Plumbers Are you a green plumber and are you interested in working with Earthworker? We are currently on a nation-wide recruitment drive for plumbers interested in sustainability to install our solar hot water systems. Melissa Corbett Around Earthworker History of Australian Unionism One of the suitcases from ‘Rites of Passage’ Here at Earthworker we are very proud to announce the release of “the little history of australian unionism”! It features recordings of union leaders, asylum seekers and local bands. The package includes 2 CDs and an updated copy of Sean Scalmer’s book of the same name. If you are passionate about environmentally sustainable practices and would like to become part of a cooperative, we want to hear from you! Clean Energy Regional Response If you are attending the Clean Energy Regional Response conference in Newcastle on the 21st of November, keep an eye out for Earthworkers Dan and Ben who will be there giving a poster presentation about Earthworker Cooperative. Copies are being distributed at MFU for Asylum Seekers and to all delegates at this year’s NUW conference. If you are interested in the little history of australian unionism package! Testimonial from an Earthworker Andrew Phillips in Reservior: “I absolutely love my Earthworker heat pump! It runs for two hours a day to give us all the hot water we need for a family of four. What is more - because we have solar cells on the roof our hot water costs us absolutely nothing and generates zero greenhouse emissions (even in the middle of winter). I am so happy that I can contribute towards a low income family having one of these systems” Coming Up Next Meeting Our next general meeting will be on Monday 1st of December in Meeting Room 1, Victorian Trades Hall. The time and date for the next working bee will be arranged at the meeting. Contact us beforehand in case of changes. We always love to see new faces at meetings! Anyone can become involved and everyone is welcome to contribute. Contact Us For cooperative, product and sales enquires, call: 1 300 GO EARTH (1300 463 27 84) Email: [email protected] Sales: [email protected] Website: http://earthworkercooperative.com.au/ Let us know if you would like to republish anything from the newsletter, we can send it in your preferred format! 4 Earthworker Newsletter - November 2014