Co-op what are the benefits in working for one??

[Lizzy Bordon]

I haven't started yet but seems really laid back, computer system still old fashion, highest voltage is 12.5 and biggest thing is a Walmart complex going in. I am coming from 34.5 hot stick designs, mmanhole duct, primary metering, PMH switches, ect........it will be really laid back for me. They have very few factories, mostly a tourist ocean front area. I guess my biggest problem will be getting the poles to stay up straight in the sand vs water storm issues.

If you bring up Touchstone it shows multiple jobs across the states did not know if they were tied in together in some way. They show their D or T area across the entire USA.

My friends said their is something where you own a percentage of the coop and they get re imbursed once a year on their electric bill a certain percentage.....interesting.

[Highplains Drifter]

[QUOTE=Lizzy Bordon;121256]

My friends said their is something where you own a percentage of the coop and they get re imbursed once a year on their electric bill a certain percentage.....interesting.[/QUOTE]


A Co-operative is Socialism in that production is carried out to directly produce use-value (to directly satisfy human needs, or economic demands) as opposed to being produced with a view to generating a profit.

[thrasher]

Cooperatives got thier start in what were Rural areas in the 1930's because the IOU's didn't see enough profit. The federal Government hired engineers that designed national standards, based on light, medium, and heavy loading zones. They also set different voltage standards. The design books include different options for some things. However basically you can move from one coop to another and as long as they use the same voltage and are in the same loading zone construction will be alike. I moved between Coops 20 years ago and even though I went from Heavy Load to Medium Load there was no problem making the transition.
Coops are different from IOUs because our owners (stockholders) are the consumers, and our Board of Directors is elected from our consumers. So the orientation is to build a safe reliable system thats built well and then maintain it to keep ongoing costs down. Saying that, there are lots of variations in how Coops are run on a day-to-day basis. Some are good old boy networks, lots will have multiple employees from one or two families who are in the second or third generation of Coop employees. Other Coops try to run like an IOU claims to run, as a organization of professionals. As for technology; its all over the spectrum. Some Coops were among the first to deploy SCADA at the distribution level, and percentage wise more Coops use AMI then IOUs.
Main thing to remember at most Coops: lots of people are related or grew up together, and most consumers know individual employees. If you disrespect someone they WILL find out.