Newfoundland & Labrador Federation Of Co- Operatives, St. John's, NL

The province's co-operative business sector has been collectively represented by a provincial union or federation since the Newfoundland Co-operative Union (NCU) was established in the 1940's. NCU evolved into Newfoundland Co-operative Services (NCS) in the late 1960's. It became the NLFC in 1981. Today the NLFC is the collective and unifying voice for co-op enterprises in Newfoundland and Labrador. Its mission is to promote the co-op business alternative and to support the continued growth and development of the co-op sector in the province. The NLFC has a nine member board of directors and two full time staff members who work out of the NLFC office in St. John's. The NLFC is a member of the Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada (CMC), which is a national central agency for the co-operative sector in Canada. CMC is a member of the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA) which represents the co-op sector around the world. The NLFC subscribes to the ICA statement of co-operative identity adopted in 1986. It is as follows: Definition: A co-operative is an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through jointly owned and democratically controlled enterprise. Co-operative Values: Co-operatives are based on the values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity. In the tradition of their founders, co-operative members believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others. Principles of Co-operation: The co-operative principles are guidelines by which the co-op values are put into practice: Voluntary and open membership. #Democratic member control. Member economic participation. Autonomy and independence. Education, training and information. Co-operation amongst co-operatives Concern for the community.