Project POP

People Over Profits

Project POP (People Over Profits) is Politdigm’s Initiative to promote worker’s rights, and cooperative democratic workplaces that empower the working class. The project aims to educate the working class on their rights and also the working place that they deserve. Just like Politdigm, Project POP is an anti-capitalist initiative, so in all its endeavors the project aims to disrupt the current status quo of the capitalist system by advocating for workers' rights and a socialist system.

Through advocacy, education, and by applying our values to the companies involved in the project, Politdigm hopes to show disfranchised workers that there is an alternative where workers are treated with dignity, respect and have power over their own lives. This document provides an overview of the project's goals, strategies, and how you can get involved.

Project Objective

Project POP is just a piece in a larger puzzle in Politdigm’s goal to abolish capitalism and create a socialist global economy. The primary mission of this project is to radicalize the working class to finally take what is rightfully theirs – the means of production. To achieve this mission, the project has the following objectives:

Advocacy: Project POP not only wants to be its own entity, but it also wants to support already existing worker movements. This includes supporting and advocating alongside worker unions, or other projects/initiatives like Project POP aims to fight for workers’ rights. We believe that through our own advocacy, and supporting others, we can create change at a larger scale and bring about a fairer and more just society.
Education: Project POP aims to inform workers and the public about their rights and how they can exercise them. Through education, we can empower workers to take charge of their own well-being and demand fair treatment from their employers. Beyond that we also want to show them a goal to fight for. This project sets a clear vision that workers should fight for.
Applying our values to companies: By involving companies in Project POP, we can lead by example. We can show workers how the workplace we want to create is, and how it is in practice. We want to lead by example.

Project POP does not target a specific industry or region. The struggle of the working class has no boarders, it is international. We believe that by normalizing workers' rights, we can create a more equitable society that benefits everyone, not just the privileged few.

Core Beliefs of the Project

Project POP has identified 10 essential characteristics that are fundamental to our commitment to workers' rights. For a company to be part of this initiative, it must have all 10 characteristics. They serve as the foundational building blocks of a workplace that empowers the working class and eliminates the hierarchical and oppressive workplace structures of the past. We believe in continuously improving and evolving our values. Therefore, we plan to add more characteristics to Project POP as the initiative grows and develops.

Collective Ownership

The foundational principle of this project is collective ownership of the means of production. Instead of a single owner, the company is owned collectively by its workers. Each worker has one share of the company. This eliminates the Employer-Employee dynamic, eliminating corporate hierarchy.

Bonuses

Additional to equal pay, each worker is entitled to receive a bonus. Who gets a bonus and how much is chosen through a points system, where each worker is given a select number of points which they must distribute among their colleagues. At the end of the process when all points have been given, bonuses are given to the workers based on the opinion of the organization, inspiring everyone to do their best.

Non-Discrimination

Discrimination in the workplace based on an individual's ethnicity, gender identity, or sexual orientation is completely unacceptable.

Transportation and Food

If workers have to commute to a physical workplace, they need a means of transportation to get there. If public transportation is not free, companies should cover the cost of transportation for their workers. In terms of food, if the workplace does not have a free cafeteria, then the company should provide a free alternative for their workers. Workers should not have to bear the cost of their meals while at work.

Workplace Democracy

All decision-making in the workplace is democratic, involving all members in organizational choices. It’s one worker, one vote. This includes strategic planning, policy decisions, key operational choices, financial organization, elected team representatives, and who gets hired and who doesn’t, just to name a few.

Elected Leaders

While the capitalist model of ownership does not exist, and no worker is considered more important than another worker, this doesn’t mean there can’t be workers that have a leadership role. If there are leadership roles, they must be elected by workers. These leadership need to be rotational, serving as representatives for certain departments.

Supporting Parents

New parents, whether biological or adoptive, often require leave from their work to care for their newborn or newly adopted child. This is a critical time that enables parents to establish a strong emotional connection with their child and smoothly transition into parenthood. It is essential that parents are allowed to take time off work to care for their child without the fear of losing their job or income.

Equal Pay

Profits are distributed equally among all members, ensuring that financial rewards are shared collectively. This means that everyone has the exact same wage, which is chosen democratically, rejecting the capitalist hierarchy where a few individuals benefit disproportionately.

4 Day Work Weeks

Instead of the traditional 5-day work week with 40 hours we need to adopt the 4-day which leads to a more engaged workforce, improved work-life balance, and a better sense of well-being. By reducing the number of working days and hours, workers can have more time to recharge and pursue their interests outside of work, leading to a decrease in stress and burnout. Additionally, by working fewer hours, employees may be able to increase their productivity during the time they are at work, leading to a more efficient and effective use of time.

Open Communication

Transparency and open communication are paramount. All members have the right to express their opinions, provide feedback, and actively participate in discussions regarding the company's direction.

Challenges

The transition from a capitalist philosophy to a socialist one is a tremendously challenging process, especially for established companies that have been operating for years or even decades. In most cases, it is nearly impossible to make such a transition, especially for multi-million-dollar companies. This is because it requires a massive shift in mindset, education on Marxist/Socialist principles, and for the people in power of the company, to lose a lot of power and money, so it can be distributed to the workers.

It is important to note that transitioning to a socialist philosophy is not just about changing the ownership structure of a company. It is about fundamentally changing the way a company operates and how it approaches the concept of work. Workers need to be deprogrammed from capitalist propaganda and taught about Marxist principles to ensure that all members of the organization understand and align with the values of workplace democracy, equality, and collective ownership.

The biggest challenge in transitioning to a socialist philosophy is the external pressure from the global capitalist system. Capitalism is deeply ingrained in the world's economic and political systems and actively tries to make it impossible to operate outside of it. It is essential to recognize that Project POP, while a step in the right direction, is not enough, and we need to go beyond and abolish capitalism altogether. This is the only way that we can ensure that the working class is finally free from the oppression and exploitation that has defined capitalism for centuries.

Measuring the Success

The success of Project POP will be determined by the number of lives positively impacted through various initiatives. This impact can be measured by the amount of donations raised for charitable causes, the number of companies actively participating in the project, and other significant contributions. It's important to emphasize that the assessment of success will be an ongoing and dynamic process. As the project expands and adapts, the metrics used to gauge progress will also evolve. Ultimately, our primary objective is to foster a more fair and just society. Therefore, the success of Project POP will be closely tied to its effectiveness in advancing us towards this overarching goal.

Future Phases of Project POP

Phase 1 (2023 - Present)

Achieving the 10 Characteristics: As discussed above, Politdigm is committed to make sure that in the future we have all 10 Characteristics set by Project POP.
Partnerships: Continue the partnerships with Politdigm's sister companies, fostering a network of organizations committed to workers' rights and Marxist values, with the commitment to make sure that in the future they can have all 10 Characteristics set by Project POP.
Educational Initiatives: With our content creation, though Politdigm Sparks, The Politdigm Podcast, The Politdigm Blog, and our social media we want to develop educational materials and resources for workers to learn about their rights, democratic workplaces, and Marxist principles.
Supporting Advocacy: Supporting like-minded organizations and companies to amplify advocacy efforts to support workers' rights.

Phase 2

Expanding Outreach: Expand outreach efforts beyond Politdigm's sister companies, reaching out to a wider range of organizations and companies adding them to Project POP.
Collaboration and Advocacy: Directly work and collaborate with other like-minded organizations and companies to amplify advocacy efforts to support workers' rights. This includes international organizations that advocate for workers' rights, fostering solidarity and sharing best practices globally.
Scaling Education Efforts: Scale up education efforts to reach an even wider audience, leveraging online platforms, workshops, and community events.

Phase 3

Developing Certification Standards: Develop a certification standard for companies to follow in order to achieve Project POP certification, ensuring adherence to worker led democratic workplaces.
Achieving Widespread Adoption: Work towards achieving widespread adoption of workers' rights and worker led democratic workplaces across industries and regions, normalizing democratic workplaces and fair treatment of workers.
Normalization of Workers' Rights: Aim for the normalization of workers' rights in all industries and regions, creating a culture where workplace democracy and equitable treatment are the standard.

Notice!

It's important to note that the goals of each phase in Project POP are subject to change as the project evolves. The current goals outlined for each phase are not final and may be adjusted as needed to ensure that the project is achieving its objectives and making the greatest impact. As the project progresses and we gain more insight and feedback, we may discover new areas of focus or adjust our strategies to be more effective. Therefore, while the goals of each phase are important, they are not set in stone and should be viewed as a flexible framework that can adapt to changing circumstances.