Meet the New Boss(es)

When it’s finally time for Rodney North to make his speech to his fellow employees and ask them to reelect him to the board, he points to his experience in navigating the slippery shoals of self-governance. “As a worker co-op we are going to disagree on particulars, but we are going to agree on the process,” he says, “and sometimes that is going to be messy or ugly. That’s something I have some experience grappling with.”

After all three contenders have spoken, their coworkers cast their ballots, ranking each candidate on a weighted vote of 1, 2, or 3. A few minutes later, the tally is read: Jim Desmond, 97. Steve Bolton, 148. North gets the second seat with a tally of 131. “My head is spinning right now. It’s a whole new world,” says Bolton over the din as employees head into the staff kitchen for a barbecue celebration.

With the election behind him, Desmond offers a few thoughts on where his candidacy might have gone wrong. “Someone said I should have talked more to the guys in the warehouse,” he says. “I never even thought about campaigning like that.” Then again, had he won, Desmond adds, he would have had to give up other responsibilities, like his ongoing push to get solar panels installed on the roof.