Defending Democracy at Ace Taxi Co-operative

In 2009, Ace Taxi co-op, a taxi co-operative in the Midwestern US was facing problems with conflict and discipline. Disciplinary issues were beginning to take up too much of management and the board’s time; members were not satisfied and were suspicious of the discipline decisions being made; and the way decisions were being made was not in line with Ace Taxi’s values. The board and management were exercising too much power and members of the co-op were beginning to feel uneasy with this. The process was becoming unjust and this was a major concern for the membership. The co-op, after all, had been established to provide a just workplace for everyone. Through various groups and committees, some members collected input from the general membership and investigated several options to remedy the situation. A consensus model was used to design a new disciplinary policy to uphold the values and mission of the co- op. The resulting policy is based on participation and democracy rather than hierarchy and authority.