Daniel Wortel-London teaches American history at Bard College and is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America. He is author of The Menace of Prosperity: New York City and the Struggle for Economic Development, 1865–1981.
Time and again, New York City’s dependence on the rich and private corporations has led it into fiscal crisis. As mayor, Zohran Mamdani has the opportunity to start building an economic base that better serves the needs of the city’s working class.
Establishing worker-owned firms is no substitute for building a strong labor movement and a socialist presence within the state. But worker co-ops can play a key part in a broader socialist strategy, by making tangible the material benefits of cooperation.