Labor Day Lessons from Co-Creation
Structures exist for managers and workers to collaborate on decent working conditions and wages. Why aren't they working?
In North America, Monday, September 7 marked a holiday honoring workers and the labor movement for instilling fair wages and better working conditions across countries. However, recent research shows how in the United States, more workers rely on public assistance as workers' rights and protections erode in the face of increasing pressure to do more in less time. From 2015 to 2018, I studied a similar phenomenon in Germany. In 2003, the introduction of MiniJobs qualified a worker as employed for statistical purposes if making just 400 euros a month. The rise in MiniJobs and other precarious, low-wage jobs increased worker reliance on public assistance for basic needs. Gig work in the United States has followed a similar trajectory, saturating the labor market with poor quality jobs that fail to provide fair wages and benefits.
In a more caring world, workers would be less reliant (if at all) on social programs to meet their basic needs. All residents—regardless of employment or other status—would have what they need to take care of themselves and their families and participate in their communities. Returning to the German example, companies have access to a co-creation structure known as Mitbestimmung ("Codetermination" in English), where workers and managers make management decisions together. Workers bring experience from the field and factory floor while managers bring big-picture perspectives and industry-wide experiences to the decision making table. This marrying of experiences and perspectives coordinates information and leverages analytical diversity to address complexity in organizational systems and processes. Through Codetermination, workers and managers decide the fate of their teams and companies together.
However, co-creation, including Mitbestimmung, cannot work when groups are "othered" and rights are unraveled. Meaningful work built on fair wages and safe, supportive conditions is necessary for a healthy, well-functioning company and society. To thrive, every community, organization, neighborhood, and municipality requires meaningful participation by all of its residents—regardless of status—in governing, researching, planning, and making policies. Many places are experiencing the fallout from organizations that engage some workers in co-creation activities while, for the rest, introducing policy maneuvers and other tactics to dismantle rights, drive down wages, and make working conditions unbearable. And workers are just one of many communities experiencing such behaviors.
Getting from extraction to engagement takes skill and practice. At yuroboros SPC, we support change-makers who are engaging workers and other communities in meaningful co-creation. Part of this requires developing skills to address issues in collaboration with communities we may not normally interact with in personal or professional activities.
We don't know what we don't know. Engaging diverse communities in meaningful participation reminds us of this. It also helps us build collective wisdom to better understand and respond to the wicked problems in our complex world.
In solidarity for a more caring world,
Tracy A. Corley
Founder and President
yuroboros SPC
Build Your Co-Creation Skills and Practice!
Join us on September 16th for an information session about our Fall 2026 certificate course, "From Extraction to Engagement: Ethical Community Participation in Research, Planning, and Governance."
Learn more about the course at The Training Center at yuroboros SPC.
What's Upstream at yuroboros SPC
"From Extraction to Engagement" Introduction and Information Session
Wednesday, September 16, 2026 | 7:30–8:30 PM US ET
The Training Center at yuroboros SPC is hosting a free information session and introduction to the 2026-2027 certificate course "From Extraction to Engagement". This training series for change-makers in communities and organizations builds on Tracy A. Corley's engaged scholarship on how to engage marginalized and hard-to-reach communities in research, planning, and governance. If you are a planner, policymaker, scientist, or activist who wants to build and deepen relationships across grassroots, government, and large organizations for a more caring world, join us to learn more. All registrants will receive a coupon for up to $100 off the training that starts October 2026. Register here.
(Co)Action Lab Community Conversation
Tuesday, October 13, 2026 | 12:00–1:00 PM US ET
Our community of practice for social change-makers, (Co)Action Lab is hosting a Community Conversation to respond to frequently asked questions about (Co)Action Lab membership. Join us to hear from members about the benefits of joining and how the coaching, accountability, training, and connections have deepened their professional development as social change makers. Attendees will receive a special gift for those who decide to join a 2027 Practice Group. Register here.
"From Extraction to Engagement" Fall 2026 Certificate Course
Wednesdays, October 21–December 9 (except November 4 and 25) | 7:30–9:00 PM US ET
Registration is open for this certificate course from The Training Center at yuroboros SPC. From Extraction to Engagement introduces essential concepts, methods, and mindsets for ethical community engagement of hard-to-reach and underrepresented groups who are tired of being exploited. By building on Dr. Tracy A. Corley's scholarship and leadership in transformative approaches, learners will explore real-world examples, connect transformative concepts and frameworks to their work, and identify pragmatic ways to apply the practices across fields and disciplines, including STEM and evidence-based sectors. Learn more here.
