Democracy and the Value of Cooperation: An open letter to MEC members

[This letter was originally published on Rabble.ca]

The board of directors of Mountain Equipment Co-op has introduced a Special Resolution, requiring approval by at least 75% of voting members, that seeks to give the board power to choose which candidates appear on the nomination ballot according to criteria that the board itself defines. We are writing on behalf of scores of concerned MEC members across Canada, and we ask that all MEC members please read the following before deciding how to vote.

Why We Care

Along with 3.3 million other members, we don't just shop at MEC stores as consumers. When we step through the doors of our local MEC, we aren’t just looking for a new backpack, climbing shoes or tent—we're also there as part owners of the Co-op. And the fact that MEC is a co-op, that it represents a different way of doing business, is a big part of why we support it.

Mountain Equipment Co-op's members have made it what it is. Unlike other businesses that are primarily concerned with turning a profit for their shareholders, MEC exists solely to serve its members and to provide them with the gear to enjoy the outdoors. And as a member-owned co-operative, just by virtue of owning a share to make a purchase at MEC, members have the right to vote at elections and decide the direction of the Co-op. Because of the flexibility its co-op status affords and because of its members' support, MEC has been repeatedly recognized for leadership in reducing environmental impacts and making progress in ethically sourcing its products.

To us, MEC's democratic governance structure represents an inspiring glimpse into just how different things could be. If more of our economy were run democratically, attaining a truly just, sustainable, and equitable world would be that much closer to reality.

Let Members Decide

We believe that the members of MEC can and should choose the candidates who will best represent them, as members now do—not the board. We believe that the people who elect the board should define the criteria for candidates, first by nominating members that would be great directors, and then by voting for them. We think all of this should take place in the context of an open and transparent nomination and election process. In fact, we think that board elections at MEC should be among the most inspiring, participatory, open, and transparent elections in all of Canada.

Further, we believe that the change proposed by the board creates a serious conflict of interest for current board members. If the Special Resolution passes, it would become possible to stack the board with like-minded members, and to shut out anyone that thinks differently than the current board does. Regardless of how we feel about our current representatives, that's not an appropriate power for democratically elected directors.

Instead, we believe that MEC will thrive with a diversity of views, opinions, backgrounds, ideas, and desires represented on the board. Variety is also important because MEC members are all unique; the more diverse the board, the greater the likelihood that more of the Co-op's 3.3 million members are accurately represented.

Unfortunately, this Resolution doesn't foster diversity. It doesn't set a good example for how a member-owned co-op should be run. And it doesn't allow the people who are best able to decide who they would like to be represented by to choose their own representatives. Instead, it replaces the desires of members with the desires of the board, and it downgrades members from active participants in the co-op to mere consumers of its products.

That's not why we're members of the Co-op. We think MEC can do better than shifting power from three million members to just nine board members, and we ask all other members that feel the same way to go to www.mec.ca/election and vote “no” to the Special Resolution.

Signed,

[Affiliations for identification purposes only]

Click here to add your signature!

1. Dave Bleakney (National Union Representative, CUPW), Ottawa ON
2. Michael Byerley (Former Team Leader, MEC Calgary), Calgary AB
3. Brigette DePape (Rogue Page), Ottawa ON
4. Michael Duncan (UBC Varsity Outdoor Club), Vancouver BC
5. David Eby (Lawyer), Vancouver BC
6. Nathan Gignac (former MEC staff), Calgary AB
7. Len Goff (UBC Varsity Outdoor Club), Vancouver BC
8. Steve Grant (Former MEC Director), Vancouver BC
9. Berni Claus (Former Director and Vice-President, MEC), Bowen Island BC
10. Barbara Lando (Former staff trainer, MEC), Vancouver BC
11. Mark Latham (Founder, VoterMedia.org), Vancouver BC
12. Abby Lippmann (Professor Emerita, McGill), Montreal QC
13. Scott Nelson (British Columbia Mountaineering Club), Vancouver BC
14. Judy Rebick (author and activist), Toronto ON
15. Morrie Schneiderman (MEC Board Candidate), Iqaluit NU
16. Albert Souza (BC Mountaineering Club), Vancouver BC
17. Chris Sturgeon (former MEC employee), Whitehorse, YK
18. Melissa Tan (UBC Varsity Outdoor Club), Vancouver BC
19. Dru Oja Jay, Montreal QC
20. Cathy Holtslander, Saskatoon SK
21. Yuill Herbert, Tatamagouche NS
22. Meghan McCarthy, St. Johns NL
23. Malcolm Boothroyd, Whitehorse YK
24. Sonia Grant, Halifax NS
25. Amara Possian, Toronto ON
26. Tasha Peters, Ottawa ON
27. Karen Rooney, Saskatoon SK
28. Cameron Fenton, Montreal QC
29. Marie Bencze, Kingston ON
30. Maryam Adrangi, Toronto ON
31. Ellen Quigley, Saskatoon SK
32. Tamara Micner, Vancouver BC
33. Amanda Hachey, Moncton NB
34. Monique Woolnough, Toronto ON
35. Natasha Nancekivell, Toronto ON
36. Roddy Doucet, Montreal QC
37. Valerie Zink, Regina SK
38. Hazel Corcoran, Calgary AB
39. Tim McSorley, Montreal QC
40. Dawn Paley, Vancouver BC
41. Jesse Freeston, Montreal QC
42. Dana Holtby, Montreal QC
43. Emily Eaton, Regina SK
44. Julie Strand Offerdal, Montreal QC
45. Omar Bickell, Montreal QC
46. Maude Prud'homme, Carleton-sur-Mer QC
47. Fuad Abboud, Calgary AB
48. Peter Garden, Saskatoon SK
49. Melissa McCabe, Bar Harbour ME
50. Tracey Mitchell, Saskatoon SK
51. Alexander Oster, Montreal QC
52. August Coombs, Tatamagouche NS
53. Martin Lukacs, Montreal QC
54. Rachel Engler-Stringer (PhD), Saskatoon SK
55. Alexander Zaganas, Burnaby BC
56. David Lowe, Vancouver BC
57. Fred Cutler, Vancouver BC
58. Hiromi Miyawaki, Vancouver BC
59. John Sehmer, Vancouver BC
60. John Spouge, Vancouver BC
61. Kevin Torvik, Delta BC
62. Naoya Makino, Vancouver BC
63. Nelly Piechocki, Vancouver BC
64. Errol Sharpe, Halifax NS
65. Holly Nazar, Montreal QC
66. Bradley Coleman, Vancouver BC
67. Ruby Mawira, Vancouver BC
68. Svetla Turnin, Montreal QC
69. Joanna Brown, Moncton, NB
70. David Mitchell, Regina SK
71. Nik Barry-Shaw, Montreal QC
72. Rebecca Foon, Montreal QC
73. Daniel Simeone, Montreal QC
74. Andrew Hayes, Fredericton, NB
75. Murielle Arsenault, Vancouver, BC
76. Jeremy Wildeman, Exeter UK
77. Bruce Inglis, Vancouver BC
78. Steffany Salloum, Regina SK
79. Christian Veenstra, Vancouver BC
80. Gili Rosenberg, Vancouver BC
81. Bruno Godin, Vancouver BC
82. Phil Tomlinson, Vancouver BC
83. Marcin Mirski, Vancouver BC
84. Michele Girash, London ON
85. Michael Bednarski, Toronto ON
86. Deb Duffy, Aylmer QC
87. Len Vaness, Hamilton ON
88. Edward Nixon, Toronto ON
89. Ravi Joshi, Toronto ON
90. Sebastian Mott, Ottawa ON
91. Claire Abraham, Montréal QC
92. Greg Farrants, Edmonton AB
93. Dylan Penner, Ottawa ON
94. Hilary Stead, Victoria BC
95. Corina Crawley, Ottawa ON
96. Scott Harris, Edmonton AB
97. Hillary Lindsay, Tatamagouche NS
98. Sea Austin, Huntsville ON
99. David Wilson, Calgary AB
100. Crystel Hajjar, Ottawa ON
101. Mary Kathleen Barrett, Vancouver BC
102. Cameron Stiff (Sierra Club of Canada), Montreal QC
103. Seamus Wolfe, Ottawa ON
104. Arun Smith, Ottawa ON
105. Spencer Monckton, Ottawa ON
106. Eryn Wheatley, Toronto ON
107. Jesse Gutman, Toronto ON
108. Chris Walker, Fredericton NB
109. Amanda Wilson, Ottawa ON
110. Jon Hunt, Ottawa ON
111. Robyn Rees, Montreal QC
112. Geneva Guerin, Montreal QC
113. Jim Rootham, Toronto ON
114. Kevin Walsh, Toronto ON
115. Lake Sagaris, Toronto ON
116. John Wasteneys, Halifax NS
117. Matt Mayer, Calgary AB
118. Sarah-Anne Hrycenko, Vancouver BC
119. Alex Briggs, Montreal QC
120. Dana Powell    Edmonton, AB
121. Dominica McPherson, Guelph ON
122. Ben Singleton-Polster, Vancouver BC
123. Eric Doherty, Vancouver BC
124. Dave Szollosy, Georgina ON
125. Anne Roberts, Vancouver BC
126. Marcia MacDonald, Vancouver BC
127. Sasha Miguel, Montreal QC
128. Toban Black, London ON
129. Steve D'Arcy, London ON
130. Tessa Vikander, Montreal QC
131. Chris Jones, Ottawa ON
132. Niels Kierulf, Montreal QC
133. Alroy Fonseca, Ottawa ON
134. Glennis O'Neill, Vernon BC
135. Keetha Mercer, Montreal QC
136. Oliver Kent, Ottawa ON
137. Adrienne Berchtold, London ON
138. Joanne Ovitsland, Hornby Island BC
139. Frédéric Dubois, Montréal QC
140. Sean O'Flynn-Magee, Vancouver BC
141. Adam Hodgins, Gatineau QC
142. Mordecai Briemberg, Burnaby BC
143. Joe Chang, Ottawa ON
144. James Onusko, Peterborough, ON
145. Justin Guimond, Vancouver BC
146. Yves Engler, Montreal QC
147. Antony Hodgson, Vancouver BC
148. Willem Bruce Krayenhoff, Vancouver BC
149. Colette Aubin, North Vancouver BC
150. Brian Campbell, Vancouver BC
151. Nisha Nath, Edmonton AB
152. Philippe Duhamel, Montreal QC
153. Jeffrey W. Buchanan, London ON
154. Peter Nelson, Halifax NS
155. John MacFarlane, Montreal QC
156. Owen Brush, Halifax NS
157. William Lewis, Dartmouth NS
158. Amy Miller, Montreal QC
159. Megan Kinch, Toronto ON
160. Daniel Parker, Montreal QC
161. Nancy Hayne, Calgary AB
162. George Pugh, Vancouver BC
163. Justin Saunders, Toronto ON
164. Amy Twigge-Molecey, Montreal QC
165. Lise Vaugeois, Thunder Bay ON
166. Trevor Darling, Barrie ON
167. Anthony Fenton, Toronto ON
168. Chris Albinati, Kamloops BC
169. Kristyna Balaban, Toronto ON
170. Vanessa Shannon, Montreal QC
171. Gemma Richardson, London ON
172. Amanda Dorter, Toronto ON
173. Daniel Cayley-Daoust, Gatineau QC
174. Alfred Larsen, Vancouver BC
175. Kevin Huang, Toronto ON
176. Deborah Cowen, Toronto ON
177. Hélène Hamilton, Calgary AB
178. Eric Savanis, Montreal QC
179. Chrissy Lorette, Moncton NB
180. Kaleigh McGregor-Bales, Halifax NS
181. Râna Campbell, Montreal QC
182. Susan Kasurak, Toronto ON
183. Heather Andrachuk, Ottawa ON
184. Helen Erickson, London ON
185. Geoffrey Wilson, Toronto ON
186. Fiona Becker, Shawnigan Lake BC
187. Raphaële Frigon, Montreal QC
188. james Partanen, Toronto ON
189. Alia SAied, Halifax NS
190. Jeff Taylor, Vancouver BC
191. Allison Jacob, Montréal QC
192. Karl Perrin, Burnaby BC
193. Marcus Peterson, Edmonton AB
194. Kyle Stanfield, Montreal QC
195. Andrew Radzik, Vancouver BC
196. Mick Bailey, North Vancouver BC
197. Stuart Neatby, Vancouver BC
198. Emily Sadowski, Vancouver BC
199. Richard Hosein, Surrey BC
200. Nic Cornell, Nelson BC
201. Gerry Masuda, Duncan BC
202. Daniel Tourigny, Victoria BC
203. Riaz Behra, Vancouver BC
204. Skyler Des Roches, Vancouver BC
205. Toni Stiegelmar, Vancouver, BC
206. Britt Wray, London ON
207. erhard kraus, Toronto ON
208. Christine Holman, Toronto ON
209. John Bell, Toronto ON
210. John Shellenberg, St. Albert AB
211. Jocelyn Darou, Frelighsburg QC
212. Jane Weller, North Vancouver BC
213. Frank Stilson, London ON
214. David E. Williams, Vancouver BC
215. Edward Grant, Lethbridge AB
216. Stephen Mulhall, Vancouver BC
217. Jonathan Lefkowitz, Toronto ON
218. Fraser Smith, Peterborough ON
219. Valarie Hartling, Bruce Mines ON
220. Ben Laurie, Prince George BC
221. Janesse Leung, Toronto ON
222. Moos van Caspel, Vancouver BC
223. Jessica Denyer, Toronto ON
224. Rob Hughes, Powell River BC
225. Vince Hughes, Toronto ON
226. Django Doucet, Montreal QC
227. Roc Robertson, Mission BC
228. Christopher Vaughn, Montreal QC
229. Darren Alexander, Toronto ON
230. Erynne Gilpin, London ON
231. Mike Simons, Vancouver BC
232. Mike Mitchell, Edmonton, AB
233. Anne Kessler, Vancouver, BC
234. Gillian Bubb, Vancouver BC
235. H & M Phillips, London ON
236. Joe Muething, Englehart ON
237. Patricia Lavelle, Canmore AB
238. Brenda Mason, Vancouver BC
239. Carleen Pickard, Vancouver BC
240. Patrick Adams, Edmonton AB
241. Jonathan Ross, Vancouver BC
242. Patrick Adams, Edmonton AB
243. Daragh Hayes, London ON
244. Louise Caroline Bergeron, Montréal/ Sept-Iles QC
245. Dan Carey, Vancouver BC
246. Alexander Pokluda, Kitchener ON
247. Beth Davies, Vancouver BC
248. D'Arcy Stainton, Vancouver BC
249. John Rapp, Powell River BC
250. Eveline van Haastert, Powell River BC
251. Andrew Campbell, Vancouver BC
252. Spencer Rasmussen, Vancouver BC
253. Deborah Krasnicki, London ON
254. Ariane Tisseur, Vancouver, BC
255. David Heap, London ON
256. Travis Frampton, London ON
257. Jesse Klingler, Montreal QC
258. Rebekah Hart, Montreal QC
259. Kaley Kennedy, Halifax NS
260. Jazmin Papadopoulos, Winnipeg MB
261. Scott Tebbutt, Vancouver BC
262. Andrea Summers, Montreal QC
263. Steve Torgerson, Regina SK
264. Brian Lauscher, Saskatoon SK
265. Gerry Desmet, Victoria BC
266. Andrew Johnson, Saskatoon SK
267. Yvette Yardanoff, Vancouver BC
268. Mark Bigland-Pritchard, Saskatoon SK
269. Peter Rothermel, Qualicum Beach BC
270. Omri Haiven, Halifax NS
271. Mark Haden, Vancouver BC
272. Alan Friend, Nelson BC
273. Chris Sturgeon, Whitehorse YK
274. Barbara Lando, Vancouver BC
275. James Deutsch, Toronto ON
276. Kathy Cody, Vancouver BC
277. Alain D. Vater, Vancouver BC
278. Tim Groves, Toronto ON
279. Andrew Escobar, Toronto ON
280. Macdonald Stainsby, Vancouver BC
281. Rob Hershorn, Vancouver BC
282. Joey Dubuc
283. Joe Bowser, Vancouver BC
284. Richard St-Pierre, Saskatoon SK
285. Brian Wong, Vancouver BC
286. Pam Bookham, North Vancouver BC
287. Dianne Goldberg, Halfmoon Bay BC
288. Robyn Fadden, Montreal QC
289. Kyall Glennie, Regina SK
290. Kevin Harding, Burnaby BC
291. Robert Danielson, Vancouver BC
292. J. B. Staniforth, Montreal QC
293. David Bruce, Kelowna BC
294. Graham Anderson, Vancouver BC
295. Enda Brophy, Vancouver BC
296. Bérenger Enselme, Montréal QC
297. Marie-Eve Nault, Montreal QC
298. Reg Glennie, Wadena SK
299. Edwin Rowan, Vancouver BC
300. Patrick Johnson, Vancouver BC
301. Katherine Dunster, Denman Island BC
302. Bonnie Wong, Vancouver BC
303. Elvy Del Bianco, Vancouver BC
304. Janet Cotgrave, Halfmoon Bay
305. Tara Parson, Vancouver, BC
306. Paul Sigmundson, Halfmoon Bay
307. Rory Stevens, Maple Ridge
308. Lisa Barrett, Bowen Island BC
309. Mahara Sinclaire, Mission BC
310. Wayne Ellwood, Toronto ON
311. Robb Breckinridge, Vancouver BC
312. Eva Sharell, Vancouver BC
313. Cynthia Flood, Vancouver BC
314. Sara Pou, Vancouver BC
315. William Bell, Victoria BC
316. Wendy Shaw, Toronto ON
317. Deborah M Stover, Halifax NS
318. Karen Johnson, Toronto ON
319. Kristine Atwood, Dartmouth NS
320. David Jerome, St. John's NL
321. Iinda van Vulpen, Halifax NS
322. Adam Chisholm, Toronto ON
323. Yolanda Tsangarakis, Pitt Meadows BC
324. Alex Yates, North Vancouver BC
325. Marisa Orth-Pallavicini, Vancouver BC
326. Catherine Welsh, Vancouver BC
327. Caelie Frampton, Vancouver BC
328. Peter Driftmier, Vancouver BC
329. Grayden Part, Edmonton, AB
330. Arsalan Hassan, Coquitlam
331. Andrew Longhurst, Vancouver BC
332. Don Flemming, Halifax NS
333. Colleen Blake, Halifax NS
334. David L Driftmier, Calgary AB
335. David Maidman, Vancouver, BC
336. Tom Silver, Halifax NS
337. Philippe Roy, Montréal QC
338. Geneviève Paré, Calgary AB
339. Karianne Blank, Vancouver BC
340. Grant Neufeld, Calgary AB
341. Trevor Chow-Fraser, Guelph ON
342. Stephen Elliott-buckley, Vancouver BC
343. Jeff Nield, Nelson BC
344. Suzanne Moul, Burnaby BC
345. Wendy Holm, Bowen Island BC
346. Cynthia Dezso, Ile Perrot QC
347. Jen Toth, Edmonton AB
348. Jamie Maclaren, Vancouver BC
349. Jayne Hardy, Vancouver BC
350. Emilie Novaczek, Halifax NS
351. Catherine Zink, Calgary AB
352. Fuad Abboud, Calgary AB
353. Vicki Perkins, Calgary AB
354. Mariette Dumas, Montreal QC
355. Sheryl Psiuk, Halifax NS
356. Diane Janzen, Calgary AB
357. Christopher V, Calgary AB
358. Ewout de Vries, Calgary AB
359. Selena Gignac, Calgary AB
360. Lyse Boyce, Halifax NS
361. Jalal Kawash, Calgary AB
362. Charles Latimer, Montreal QC
363. Aron Zahradka, Vancouver BC
364. Rory MacIntosh, Bowen Island BC
365. Gord Betenia, West Vancouver BC
366. Haida A, Vancouver BC
367. Judith Deutsch, Toronto ON
368. Kim Leduc, Dunham QC
369. Raphael Beaulieu, Toronto ON
370. Alison Crysler, Vancouver BC
371. Andrea Gorgec, North Vancouver BC
372. Rod Akizuki, Vancouver BC
373. Martin Stock, Vancouver BC
374. Suzanne Joyal, Edmonton AB
375. Charles Killam, Vancouver BC
376. Lucille Beauchemin, Montréal QC

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