Cohousing-L Mailing List: To Go or Not To Go -- Cohousing and CohoUS

[Ann Zabaldo (zabaldo]

Hello all --

All of the ideas that have surfaced in the last week on how to support the 
union while attending the conference are creative.  The ideas ranged from 
passing out literature, to educating people about the check card system for 
voting, to refraining from buying anything extra while at the hotel, to staying 
at another hotel, to joining the picket line, to wearing "I support the union" 
badges, to giving big tips to the hotel staff.  And more I've forgotten ...

The challenges I see with these suggestions are:  how much time are any of us 
willing to put into any of these activities (other than wearing a badge) once 
we are at the conference, who among us  is organizing these efforts (kudos to 
Linda Gluck for following up on trying to locate badges!) and ... most 
importantly, that while these are creative ideas in keeping with a cohousing 
way of strategizing ... ultimately they do little to advance the cause of the 
workers.

The problem w/ the solutions proposed is that they make us feel good about 
ourselves while not doing much for the workers in the long run.  In the short 
run, by leaving big tips, a generous action, the workers will make some good 
money but w/ out improving their lives overall.  Sort of a "give them a fish" 
solution instead of helping them fish on their own by gaining the right to a 
sustainable wage and working conditions.

Sadly, the only entity coming out of this in good shape is the hotel.  While 
some of us have been fraught with upset and the workers are fighting for their 
rights, the hotel is quietly depositing our checks and adding to their bottom 
line.

As long as the cash register goes ka-ching, ka-ching the hotel has little 
incentive to do anything.  Which is why Shanique and the union are so adamant 
that changing venues is the best support we can give the union.

Changing venues is not going to happen.

HOWEVER ... a BIG however ... there is still something those of us not 
attending can do to support CohoUS and the conference.   And that's to make a 
contribution to CohoUS.  Even if you ARE attending you may wish to make a 
free-will contribution.  Conferences can be money-pits.  There are always added 
expenses here and there not covered by the conference fee.  Last minute things 
come up all the time.  A contribution to CohoUS however modest can go a long 
way to bolstering the financial platform of the organization.

Thinking this through just for myself ... I realized I had intended to spend 
two nights at the hotel even tho' I live in DC so I wouldn't miss a single 
minute of the conference.  Now that I'm missing the whole weekend, I've decided 
to contribute the cost of the hotel to CohoUS.  (There really is some logic 
there -- you just have to think about it ...taking the money I would have given 
the hotel and giving it to CohoUS ... there's some symmetry there ...)

I hope you will join with me in making a contribution to CohoUS.  Craig Ragland 
and the board have been working on ways to make donating to CohoUS possible 
throughout the year -- not just at conference time.  Why not start now?  
They've made it ridiculously easy -- even I did it and I'm notoriously dense 
around anything digital.

Go to:

http://www.cohousing.org/donate

and follow the yellow brick road to "confirm donation."

Onward!

Best --

Ann Zabaldo
Takoma Village Cohousing
Washington, DC
Principal, Cohousing Collaborative, LLC
Falls Church VA
703 663 3911