Lovely bit of history... the anarcho-syndicalists were the third element of the Spanish Civil War. And if there's one thing the fascists and communists could agree on, it was that both hated the anarchists more than they hated each other. Unfortunately, when you organize at the level of a farm or a factory, you're no match for an enemy that can throw 1000 troops at you in order to crush you. Noam Chomsky's history of the Spanish Civil War is an insightful and depressing read. :(
I worry about coops in the business world for the same reason. They have limited defense against massive corporations that decide they are enemies. But that's true of any small business.
Instead of reading Noam Chomsky's propaganda written from great distance (knowing that Chomsky has been an apologist for e.g. the Khmer Rouge), just read Orwell's Homage to Catalonia where he relates direct experience. Or any other primary source.
"(knowing that Chomsky has been an apologist for e.g. the Khmer Rouge)"
By my reading, this is an overstatement. My understanding, having dug into the issue a bit some years back, is that he was skeptical of the reporting; arguably overly skeptical, and certainly incorrect in retrospect, but that's not quite the same thing as supporting or condoning.
Some employee-owned companies are pretty big - the John Lewis Partnership here in the UK has revenue of ~£10 billion and 91,000 employees.
What I find amusing about John Lewis is that although they are employee owned they are actually a key part of respectable middle class life - even more so their upscale Waitrose supermarket chain which has close links to the Royals (the Duchy Originals brand was started by the Prince of Wales and is now exclusive to Waitrose).
How about something that is a cross between an insurance company an a law firm. A bunch of co-ops could pay in for counsel, the firm would audit each co-op on their legal exposure and set rates.
I worry about coops in the business world for the same reason. They have limited defense against massive corporations that decide they are enemies. But that's true of any small business.