This picture of striking matchbooks makers highlights the struggles that have advanced our rights, and the importance of mobilizing to preserve them. Without parental leave, public health coverage, daycare and public schools, our lives wouldn’t be the same. Sexual health is not disconnected from our material conditions of existence.
Let’s keep on fighting and reclaiming our right to pleasure and dignity.
At SEX-ED +, how do we combine capitalism-adverse values and business management?
1- No boss, no employee
From the onset, SEX-ED + has been a solo project. Because I don’t want a boss, and I don’t want to be a boss. And I couldn’t afford to offer anyone decent employment conditions, with a good salary and benefits. So the exploitation is limited to myself. What about setting up a cooperative? I’ve considered it, but to be honest, I like the flexibility of the solo mode.
2- Everything is local
Manufacturing happens in a Montreal basement. Suppliers and service providers are all local. Except… for packaging: the only supplier willing to deliver boxes in small quantities is a mega-multinational company that funds anti-abortion movements. I’ve been looking for an alternative for years, without success 🙁
3- Working with unionized people
SEX-ED + has chosen to ship exclusively with Canada Post. It may not be a perfect company, but its employees are unionized and can negotiate better working conditions. It’s better when the people who deliver our products have insurance and a pension fund, isn’t it?
4- No to infinite growth
Being a solopreneur, with no desire to change the business model, forces us to think of development in terms other than multiplying sales. How do you reach the public and make an impact without producing more and selling more? It’s a challenge, but a fascinating one, especially when you’re surrounded by people who like to think that other ways of doing things are not only possible, but necessary. Thank you to my informal Board of Directors!
WHAT ABOUT YOU? HOW ARE YOU DOING IT?
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