In New York City, sanitation is controlled by a strict hierarchical system. Every worker answers to supervisors, who answer to higher levels of management. There are alternative models such as worker cooperatives, which offers a radically different way of organizing waste collection. But which method is better?
The New York city Department of Sanitation (DSNY) is structured like a paramilitary organization. It operates through layers of command, rigid seniority structures, and strict rules. This structure ensures efficiency, but is also creates power struggles between workers, supervisors, and city officials. Works have very little control over their jobs as decisions about labor conditions or waste policies are made without their input.
On the other hand, worker cooperatives like Pedal People, discussed in Debris of Progress, follow a very different model. Pedal People is owned and managed by the workers, which means there are no bosses, no outside investors, and no hierarchy. This organization makes their decisions through collective meetings and consensus. This allows for greater flexibility in work schedules and more fair wages. However, they do have some challenges such as time-consuming decision making and the difficulty of balancing economic survival with cooperative values.
The main difference between these two models is control. Hierarchical systems like DSNY are controlled by higher-ups and workers must follow strict rules. Worker cooperatives give control to the workers themselves. This also means that they have to take on the responsibility of running the business themselves, as well as doing the manual labor. Cooperative models can empower workers, but it struggles to scale in the way that large bureaucratic systems do.
The discussion of these two models brings up a question: Should waste be managed through centralized authority, or through decentralized, worker-led models?