- Equal Exchange was born in a tiny office on Albany Street in Boston, Mass., in 1986. We now have offices in West Bridgewater, Mass., St. Paul, Minn., and Portland, Ore.; a cafe in Boston, and an espresso bar in Seattle, Wa.
- We officially became a co-op in 1994, with 20 worker-owners. We now have over 100 worker-owners.
- A worker-owner has completed at least one year of employment, has been voted in by the co-op membership, completed the Equal Exchange curriculum, and paid their membership share.
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Our compensation philosophy requires that our policies and practices "reflect our commitment to equality and economic justice through wage solidarity." Our pay ratio in 2014 was 3.43-to-1. As a comparison, according to the AFL-CIO the average ratio of CEO pay to that of the typical worker is 343-to-1.
- We have an education committee that oversees various educational programs, including a mentor program, a weekly educational hour called "Exchange Time," and a curriculum that each new employee is encouraged to complete.
- We try to support co-ops whenever possible. We helped start the Principle Six: Cooperative Trade Movement with food co-ops around the country.
- Worker-owners elect the Board of Directors and fill six of the nine Board seats. The Board in turn is responsible for hiring and supervising management. This makes a circle of accountability, with everyone being accountable to someone else.
- Each worker-owner is awarded one vote and one share in the company, no matter his or her position.
- We were named one of World Blu's Most Democratic Workplaces four years in a row.
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Every year in the first week of May, which is when we celebrate Equal Exchange's birthday, the worker-owners here at Equal Exchange hold our Annual Meeting of the Co-op. This all-day affair serves as an opportunity to not only review the successes and challenges from the previous year, but also to hold our annual elections.
*Updated 10/1/2015.
October 6, 2011