Cooperative's workplace changes with time.

Byline: Sherri Buri McDonald The Register-Guard

Working at Burley Design Cooperative in west Eugene was much more than just a paycheck, according to members who formerly worked there, owned a piece of the business and shared in its annual profits.

In its heyday in the mid-1990s, when annual sales approached $10 million, the co-op was a haven for cycling enthusiasts who had the freedom to occasionally train during the day and put in their hours assembling bike trailers at night.

It also was a refuge for professionals, sick of the corporate rat race, who craved a sense of empowerment in their work. It was a place where the person pounding in grommets could feel as respected and valued as the top manager - and the reason for that was reflected in their paycheck: Both were paid about $11 an hour.

But several former co-op members, who requested anonymity, said the open, easygoing workplace they once loved had changed dramatically in recent years.

"For the first 10 years, it was the best job I could ever ask for," one former member said. "Burley offered the opportunity to have a say in the business. It offered a lot of flexibility. And it was a very fun work environment."

This was the business that put work aside for a few hours every spring for its annual water fight and picnic. And whose credo read: "Here at Burley we are both workers and business partners operating as one team with a common goal, being personally responsible to one another and to the success and health of our cooperative. We value the integrity of our membership and the diversity of ideas that help us to achieve our vision. We strive to develop and nurture leadership from within. With respect and support for one another, Burley Design Cooperative will thrive.

"Spirit, love, passion, beauty and fun animate us in the present and deliver us into the future."

Said another former member, "I hate seeing the camaraderie that we were accomplishing something together - even if we made a mess of it sometimes - I hate to see that go away."