Workers Buy a Brass Mill

When workers at the aging Bridgeport Brass Company in Seymour, Connecticut discovered their factory was threatened with closing, they did something unheard of – they bought the company.  With help from the NVP they mobilized community support, negotiated with the old owner, and ran the plant as a democratic enterprise for seven years, long enough for many of the company’s high seniority workers to retire with benefits.

“One of the proudest or happiest moments of my whole life was to be present at the ceremony when the governor came down to cut the ribbon at the opening of Seymour Specialty Wire and see the pride reflected in the faces of those workers there, who knew that this was theirs and that they weren’t working for anybody but themselves.  That was a beautiful experience.”

     - Bishop Peter Rosazza