I was part of an employee owned company but I had no ownership and was only a contractor.
At some point the company couldn't pay the employees and they took partial ownership. The employees were senior ex-sun types who could forgo money for stock.
It was a pleasant and the darkest (in terms of no lights on). Conversations were about high level technical and no meetings. Great place to work while it lastest.
What I still don't quite understand about coops is how they practically come about? The pdf you linked to says that 84% come into being from scratch. If you need to buy some mechanical equipment and rent a factory, does everyone who joins the coop at the beginning pay into those start-up costs? Or is the investment in the coop usually entirely from the outside like bank loans? Is there ever a distinction between coop members who have invested money into the firm, and those who join later that haven't?