Decision Making
The Co-operative is a Multi-Stakeholder Co-operative. Like regular co-operatives, each member has one vote, regardless of the number of shares they own. Unlike regular co-operatives, each stakeholder group is allocated a percentage of total votes. The Ecological Land Co-operative has 3 stakeholder groups: Investors, Stewards, and Workers. Apart from in limited circumstances, voting rights are apportioned as follows:
- Steward Members - 50% Voting Rights
- Investor Members - 25% Voting Rights
- Worker Members - 25% Voting Rights
This has been done to ensure that the principal users, the Steward Members, are at the centre of decision making.
The voting rights are set out in 2.7 of the Co-operative's rules. We have also a prepared a document describing the Co-operative's voting rights and providing examples.
How do Investor Members really have a voice if we as a group, can only have up 25% of voting rights?
Seventy-five percent of votes are required to change key and significant elements of the Co-operative's rules and to allow the Board to carry out key actions:
- Changes to the conditions attached to shares;
- Rule amendments;
- The allotment of transferable shares; and
- to wind up, dissolve or convert the society (on which only user members may vote)
Even though Steward and Worker Members have a total of 75% of votes, since we welcomed our first Investor Members in January 2009 we have always required Investor Members' votes on key decisions.
The rules can be viewed in full: Ecological Land Cooperative Rules
A description of the rules we have used Somerset Rules can be viewed on the authors' website: http://www.somerset.coop/node/17
