Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea congratulates Healthy Planet Cleaning Cooperative, whose five workers are also the owners

CENTRAL FALLS — The first worker cooperative incorporated under new state legislation was recognized in a ceremony at City Hall Thursday afternoon.

"I am an owner and a worker," said Daisy Salvador, an immigrant from Honduras and one of the founding members of the Healthy Planet Cleaning Cooperative, in Spanish. "As an owner of a cooperative, I am excited to have the opportunity to build a better life for myself and my family."

The worker cooperative — consisting of five members, all from Spanish-speaking countries — focuses on providing cleaning services in an environmentally sensitive way. It is the first under a law signed last year that provides the framework for workers to create cooperatives where they function as both labor and ownership.

The law, and cooperative trainings, were championed by the POWER Network: a coalition of local labor organizations formed by Fuerza Laboral, Rhode Island Jobs with Justice and the Center for Justice, the City of Central Falls and others. The acronym stands for People Owning Wider Economic Resources, according to the Fuerza Laboral website.

"There are many cooperatives in Guatemala, but there they are based on an initial group of investors who recruit people to work for them and then consult on decisions," said Oscar Leiva, another member. "Here, we are the owners and earn a just wage."

Fuerza Laboral organizer Raul Figueroa said that he is eager to continuing with the work of developing cooperatives.

"I am looking forward to standing here again to introduce the second, third, and many others," he said. "When you purchase through these cooperatives, you are making sure our money gets reinvested into the community."

During the ceremony, the group was presented with a citation from Rhode Island Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea. Central Falls Mayor James A. Diossa was also present, as well as Carmen Diaz-Jusino of the Rhode Island Foundation, and graduates of the cooperative academy Ellie O'Shea Wyatt and Maria Lopera. The city's representative to the POWER Network, Jillian Finkle, served as master of ceremonies.

— kandrade@providencejournal.com

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