Argentine workers are taking over abandoned factories and re-opening them as worker-run businesses. It doesn't fit so cleanly into either a capitalist or socialist category. Private property is being seized by a community here, but they are opened as private businesses (democratically run or not, a business is a business).
Plenty of American communities have been irreparably damaged because the factories they built up around were closed down. If Congress passed a law allowing municipal governments (or local worker's syndicates formed expressly for that purpose) to seize (likely with compensation) abandoned factories, could it stand up in the Supreme Court?
Would the Supreme Court find this seizure to be a right of a community? I doubt even the Warren Court would go that far, though.
Labels economics
While they have no plans to run the factory a group of workers have occupied a window/door factory this last week. It may be in Ohio but I'm not sure. The company said that they were closing and the workers are occupying the property to ensure they receive vacation and severance pay.
deborah said...
Sunday, December 7, 2008 at 5:24:00 PM PST