LABOR

Labor is an essential part of the functioning of the co-op since it is the primary way that costs are kept down and the services of the co-op are provided. All members of the co-op are required to perform five hours of labor each week. Most jobs involve cooking or cleaning but other jobs include maintenance, running errands, gardening, etc. Labor comes in two varieties: scheduled labor (same time each week) and flex labor (variable times). An officer designated "the labor czar/ina" puts together a permanent labor schedule at the beginning of each semester based upon each member's class and work schedule. Completion of labor at the house is taken very seriously--no one wants to come home and not have dinner ready or not have any plates to eat from! Fortunately, a system of fines and peer pressure work well to discourage missing labor (in fact, three no-shows can get you evicted). If you must miss labor for some reason, you may swap with or pay other members to complete yourassigned duties. I think that labor, above all else, makes you feel like an active part of the community at Laurel House and can even be educational and (dare I say it?) fun.

[For guided tour] Now let's go back through the commons and down the hallway to the TV Room...

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Laurel House Co-op & Laurel Net Cooperative / Austin, Texas, USA

This page is published by Laurel Net Cooperative, a registered student organization. This page is not an official publication of The University of Texas at Austin and does not represent the views of The University or its officers.