Wages

WAGES operated from 1995-2000 in Mountain View, and then expanded to Oakland and Redwood City in early 2001. The company's co-founders began their cooperative development work by assisting Heaven Sent Housecleaning Cooperative in East Palo Alto to become a self-sustaining and independent business. Based on their success, they formed WAGES to help o... ther women gain economic security through cooperation. Between 1995 and 1997, WAGES assisted women in identifying feasible business opportunities and starting an environmentally sound housecleaning business and a retail party supply store. In 1998 the company began replicating eco-friendly cleaning cooperatives within the Silicon Valley. In 2000 the company expanded the company's replication efforts throughout the greater San Francisco Bay Area, and today three co-ops are thriving: - Emma's Eco-Clean: Emma's opened in Redwood City with five owners in 1999. The coop grew rapidly and has operated independently of WAGES since 2002. Emma's 22 members earn a decent income, plus three weeks paid vacation and health and dental insurance.Read More