We talk a lot about political democracy — the right to vote, to have a voice in our government. But for most working people, the place where decisions most affect their daily lives is not a polling booth. It is a workplace. And most workplaces are not democratic at all.
The boss decides how much you make, how many hours you work, whether you have benefits, and whether you have a job tomorrow. You have almost no say — unless you have a union. That is why the right to organize and bargain collectively is so fundamental. Unions are the original workplace democracy.
But we can go further. Worker cooperatives — businesses owned and governed by their employees — are proven models for building wealth, reducing inequality, and creating workplaces where people are treated with dignity. We should create a federal co-op development fund, provide technical assistance for worker buyouts of closing businesses, and make it easier for workers to convert their companies to cooperative ownership.
We should also require worker representation on corporate boards, as most other wealthy democracies do. When workers sit in the room where decisions are made, companies pay higher wages, invest more in their workforce, and take a longer-term view. Economic democracy and political democracy are not separate goals — they reinforce each other.