[Excerpt] Janet Saglio is head of the Business Department at the Industrial Cooperative Association (ICA) based in Somerville, Mass. The ICA works with union locals that are: a) considering an employee buy-out, or b) seeking an independent study of a corporation's business strategy. The primary purpose of the ICA is to assist worker-owned businesses, helping them become worker controlled through democratic systems of ownership, decision making and accountability. The ICA is therefore often called upon by union locals to assess the feasibility of employees buying a factory threatened by a shut-down...and always recommends against a buy-out if the business has been badly run down.