Kind of a hypothetical situation I’m curious about: What would you think of a socialist or communist that founds and/or works in a high up position in a worker co-op (presumably such a position would be elected by employees)? I could see the justification of that founder as being an attempt to give back at least some worker control as well as at least reducing worker suffering in a capitalist state while working toward real socialism. Assuming they won’t think that doing co-op is socialism in itself, but still recognizes the need for actual socialism and is active toward that end. Would you see this act as being antithetical to communism or socialism or would you see it as better as them working in a regular capitalist business? Would they be considered a proletariat or bourgeois?
Would you see being an elected leader in a worker co-op as on par with being a union leader from a socialist perspective? Or better? Or worse?
If they are democratically elected, the worker-owners can vote for their resignation at pretty much any time based on their performance, any decisions they make are accessible to the other worker-owners, and they receive a democratically determined wage, I would argue that they should be considered working-class.