"In a world where excess corporate power benefits the wealthiest at the expense of the rest of us, cooperatives offer more equitable and democratic alternatives. Co-ops come in many shapes and sizes but have in common that members share economic costs and benefits and participate in decision-making. Mondragon, which began in the mid-twentieth century as a small cooperative factory in Spain’s Basque region, has grown into a co-op network of financial, manufacturing, distribution and educational facilities employing over 80,000 people. Mondragon inspired other communities, including Cleveland, OH and Richmond, CA, to develop co-ops as a basis for economic development in depressed areas and has an agreement with the United Steelworkers of America to develop union-sponsored co-ops."