Final Project Report: Greater Vancouver General Worker's Co-op

Publisher:  William Kerr & Associates, c/o Vancouver Temporary Employment Cooperative, Vancouver, Canada
Year Published:  1980  
Pages:  73pp   Price:  7.30 + postage  
Resource Type:  Article
Cx Number:  CX2242

Finding employment in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside is extremely difficult, but there are casual jobs available in the city and workers willing to work.

Abstract:  Finding employment in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside is extremely difficult, but there are casual jobs available in the city and workers willing to work. The Vancouver Temporary Employment Cooperative is an attempt to march the two and give a maximum financial return to the worker. It was initiated by the Door is Open drop-in which secured a LEAP grant to do this study of the economic feasibility of a temporary employment co-operative.

The consultant who prepared the study, William Kerr and Association, employed men from the area to survey the potential workers on their needs and to conduct a "worker-oriented" evaluation of the few existing temporary placement services in Vancouver. The consultant-trained staff made 800 contacts and completed 400 questionnaire-guided interviews. Upon completion of the interview, a response card was left which allowed those interviewed to register with the co-op. The Door is Open received 100 completed registrations.

A market survey of considerable scale was also conducted by the consultants. Local competition was examined and found to be minimal given the many advantages of the co-op model to both workers and businesses. Potential employers were also conducted. In addition, the Community Employment Service in Edmonton, 4-U in Toronto and ICE in Winnipeg were visited to glean information from these similar ventures that would be helpful to the Vancouver co-op. Market comparisons of these three operations are also included in the Report.

The report also includes operational recommendations concerning such matters as personnel policies, accounting policies and workers supplies and services. A detailed financial analysis is also included with proposed capital expenses, detailed budgets and sales bonus proposals.