Redefining What's Possible: Why We Built The Cleaning Cooperative as a Worker-Owned Business
Guest blog post written by Hannah Nielsen, Manager of Growth and Opportunities at The Cleaning Co-op.
08 August 2025
In 2022, three women sat at a kitchen table, and asked a radical question: “What if cleaning work could be dignified, empowering and even liberating?”
What followed was The Cleaning Cooperative (TCC): a worker-owned cleaning co-op built by and for women facing barriers due to racism and discrimination. From day one, we knew we didn’t want to replicate the same power dynamics that had harmed us in past jobs. We didn’t want to be anyone’s “staff.” We wanted to own something together.
That’s why we chose to incorporate as a co-op.
Why a Co-op?
For us, a cooperative is not just a business structure. It's a strategy for justice.
The traditional cleaning industry is rife with exploitation. Wages are low, schedules are inflexible, and decisions are made without worker input. By contrast, in a worker-owned co-op, the people doing the labour control how the business operates. We decide how to grow, who to hire, and what kind of workplace we want to create. Our team members take home more than 65% of our service fees and, together, we share in the profits we generate.
At TCC, this structure has allowed us to build something deeply aligned with our values: a safe, flexible, high-quality cleaning service that prioritizes care for ourselves, our families, and our communities.
“We don’t work for TCC,” shares co-founder Hayley, “TCC works for us.”
Shared Ownership Means Shared Power
Our team members are more than employees, they have the opportunity to be decision-makers and steer the company through our worker-owner program.
Every major business decision at TCC is made democratically, with member input. From setting service rates to shaping HR policies, our co-op members have a say. It’s a powerful shift, especially for women who’ve spent much of their working lives being told what to do, when to work, and how much they’re worth.
This model also creates real buy-in. We’re not working for someone else’s bottom line. We’re investing in something we all own. That’s why our team takes such pride in our work, and why our clients notice the difference.
We’ve even brought our professional backgrounds into the business. Our Co-founder, Paulina, has a background in nursing, and her expertise directly shaped our hygiene and safety protocols. In a traditional company, her knowledge might have been overlooked. At TCC, it’s a cornerstone of our work.
Building a Workplace That Works for Women
We didn’t want a business where our value is measured by our productivity, we wanted one that takes care of its people and makes space for life to happen. That means scheduling that acknowledges childcare realities, a culture that welcomes honest conversations about mental health, and a team that steps up for each other.
“The word that always comes to mind when I think about women is resilience,” says Co-founder Lulu. “Moving to a new country, speaking a new language, starting over… that takes so much strength. And I want every woman who works with us to see how powerful she is.”
In 2024, we hit a major milestone: $1 million in revenue. For many businesses, that would be the headline, but for us, it’s just proof of a bigger idea: that co-ops can be both profitable and sustainable while prioritizing people - especially racialized, immigrant, and newcomer women.
As our Co-founder Hayley put it, "Revenue is the result of our busy-ness, but our mission remains to improve the lives of our members while creating equitable opportunities for women."
Together, we’ve proven it’s possible to challenge capitalism, patriarchy, and systemic injustice while also taking care of each other. All that’s needed is a space for this to happen, and TCC exists to be that space.
Solidarity in Action
TCC wouldn’t exist without Solid State Community Industries (SSCI). As a cooperative developer, SSCI provided us with the tools, guidance, and solidarity we needed to launch and grow.
They built our first website, connected us with our branding designer, and helped us navigate our incorporation process. Their advisors opened doors to opportunities we couldn’t have accessed alone, including securing a $50,000 line of credit with Community Savings Credit Union (with SSCI providing collateral).
But perhaps most significantly, the relationship between SSCI and TCC sparked bigger changes. When we were denied a business loan from a major credit union, SSCI helped initiate conversations that eventually led to a shift in that institution’s co-op lending policies. We’ve since heard that more than 50 co-ops have received funding as a result.
We are proud to be part of a movement that not only lifts us up, but clears the path for those who come next.
Closing the Circle
TCC is committed to reinvesting in the ecosystem that helped us grow. That means staying connected to Solid State, mentoring new co-ops, and showing up for community events that build capacity and connection.
We believe in closing the circle: sharing resources, celebrating each other’s wins, and continuing to build a solidarity economy that doesn’t leave anyone behind.
At its core, The Cleaning Cooperative stands for giving permission - to women, to workers, and to organizations - to imagine and build something better.
We hope our story encourages others to ask:
How are we contributing to systems of harm?
How can we show up differently, both personally and professionally?
How are we using our profits and power to do better for others and our community?
We’re here to prove a worker’s cooperative can thrive as a profitable and equitable enterprise, even in an industry built on exploitation. To learn more about our work, visit tccoop.ca.
Interested in building your own worker co-op? Check out our co-op application page