The group will be going public with their ideas Tuesday at Innovation Works, at a free discussion featuring a city social enterprise leader and a co-author of a book on democratic economies.

“At the end of the day, it’s going to be the public and citizens who need to support the types of policies and politicians who are going to make this happen,” said Michael Courey, co-ordinator of the London Poverty Research Centre at King’s University College.

“It’s both about increasing the imagination of the possibilities in our city and also increasing the support for these types of activities in the city.”

The research centre is a member of the Inclusive Economy Working Group, a loose collection of organizations that have been meeting since January to explore solutions to the precarious work situation in London.

A study by the poverty research centre found almost half of London workers have jobs that are precarious or vulnerable, such as short-term, contract positions with low wages and few benefits.

Meanwhile, the city and region are struggling with a low employment rate among working age people, an issued explored in a recent London Free Press series, Face it: Jobs.

A mayor’s task force is trying to match more workers with more job openings, but economists say the problem is a lack of good jobs more than a lack of willing workers.

The inclusive economy group is focusing on a basic question: “How do we look at the economy and economic development in a way that’s going to benefit a broader segment of the population?” Courey said.

The group, which includes Libro Credit Union, the London Economic Development Corp. and several large community organizations, has identified three tasks.

    Understand and advocate for a living wage in London. “What is the wage that families can live on in the city and how do we encourage employers to think about that?” Courey said.
    Ensure large public investments from all levels of government, include purchasing and work policies that benefit the city and its residents.
    Help build and retain local small and medium-sized businesses and the employment they offer. That might include worker co-operatives or other “democratic ownership,” including for businesses run by baby boomers that are in danger of closing as their owners retire.

No one is suggesting city leaders stop trying to attract global companies to London, Courey said.

“We can agree there’s work to be done in that area, but there’s also promising work to be done in local economic development. It’s the whole notion of rooting capital to place. When you root capital to place, it’s much less likely to just leave on a whim,” he said.

The event will feature Ted Howard, co-author of The Making of a Democratic Economy, an exploration of how economies benefiting more people are being created around the world.

Also speaking is Michelle Baldwin, of Pillar Nonprofit Network, “one of the key leaders of social enterprise sector, thinking through how do we create an economy that puts people, planet, and profit together,” Courey said.