External Organizer I

SEIU Local 2015; Sacramento (CA); On-site; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

SEIU Local 2015 is seeking motivated organizers to lead efforts in building and growing our union in Sacramento, California. This role entails recruiting members, mobilizing around union issues, and training worker leaders. Candidates should have experience in community organizing or similar fields and demonstrate commitment to workers' rights. Strong communication skills, team collaboration, and the ability to work independently are essential. The position requires the ability to travel throughout California and the willingness to work irregular hours.

Qualifications

• Experience with labor unions or community organizations is significant.
• Commitment to the mission and goals of SEIU Local 2015 is essential.
• Fluency in a second language is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

• Lead workers to form and grow the union.
• Conduct membership recruitment and fundraising.
• Engage in strategic planning for organizing campaigns.

Skills

Ability to track campaign data

Excellent oral and written communication skills

Ability to work under pressure

Strong personal planning and time management skills

Education

Completion of SEIU 'Wave' training program or similar

Tools

Basic computer literacy

Job description

Position Purpose

Organizers lead workers to form, build, and grow our union; guide workers to negotiate and enforce their union contracts; mobilize workers around worksite issues, politics, public policy, and other issues affecting the lives of workers; develop rank-and-file leadership among workers; and carry out all other programs of the union in the field. SEIU Local 2015 organizers may be assigned to work as internal organizers – working with and on behalf of workers who are already in unions; or as external organizers – working with and on behalf of workers who are in the process of building a union for the first time.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Membership recruitment and COPE/PAF (Committee on Political Empowerment/Political Accountability Fund) Fundraising. This is seen as a primary duty of an organizer, with COPE contribution/membership indivisible from membership recruitment goals.
• Assess, identify, recruit, and develop workers into activists and leaders via house visits, worksite visits, organizing meetings, phone calls and literature, for example; prepare meeting agendas and other communication tools such as emails, fliers, etc.
• Assist in developing worker leaders through conducting basic trainings providing appropriate tools to lead and holding them accountable to clear goals regarding the execution of the Local’s program in workplaces and communities.
• Plan one’s own work as assigned; make and execute daily, weekly, and monthly work plans based on assigned goals and objectives.
• Engage in strategic thinking to assess issues, evaluate a campaign and its components, achieve goals of the union in the field, anticipate and understand management and industrial activity, and provide reports and analysis to local leadership.
• Work within allotted budget to ensure appropriate and effective financial stewardship of our members’ dues money.
• Understand how to conduct basic research to gather and track information about workers, employers, NLRB or PERB rules and economic/financial conditions and apply information to development of organizing, bargaining, and other issue campaigns.
• Develop plans to mobilize and lead member-volunteers in key union activities including organizing campaigns, labor-to-labor political campaigns, grassroots lobbying, issue campaigns, ballot initiative campaigns, media activity, fundraising, and legislative/issue advocacy in support of the union’s collective bargaining.
• Assist leadership and members in building coalitions with community allies and partners that seeks to align our organizational missions and coordinates joint efforts/projects.
• Provide leadership by helping to build the team at Local 2015. Exercise effective team building with members, local staff, international staff and Change to Win labor coalition, CLC, or staff of other allied organizations when assigned to a collaborative project
• Other tasks and duties as assigned.

Criteria for Evaluation

• Connect members around vision and goals of the union
• Identify and develop new member leaders and activists
• Train and mentor member leaders and activists
• Execute campaign plans with clear goals, strategies and benchmarks; optimize use of local union resources to achieve successful outcomes.
• Develop and maintain a high level of teamwork, spirit, collaboration and mutual accountability
• Balance conflicting demands successfully
• Work independently
• Delivers on quantitative and qualitative goals outlined for that year
• Carry out assigned responsibilities in a competent and professional manner in keeping with the Local’s overall goals and expectations

Qualifications

• Experience with the following types of employers is highly significant: labor unions, progressive issue advocacy organizations, community organizations, political campaigns and staff of elected officials.
• Very strong preference will be given to candidates who have completed the SEIU “Wave” training program or other formal training programs for organizers.
• Personal commitment to the mission and goals of SEIU and to the specific program of SEIU Local 2015.
• Exercise discretion and independent judgment are considered key components to achieving organizer performance standards.
• Ability to work under pressure
• Ability to identify and assess worker issues
• The ability to work with a team and independently
• Ability to track campaign data, evaluate and effectively move turf
• Assist in running worker meetings
• Are deeply committed to improving workers lives and build a strong labor movement
• Are self-motivated to achieve campaign goals
• Strong personal planning and time management skills
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Basic computer literacy on Windows-based computer programs in order to perform necessary campaign data management and administrative work
• Willingness and ability to work long, irregular hours, including early morning, evenings and weekends
• Fluency in a second language is also highly desirable
• The ability to work with people from other cultures and backgrounds
• Having a valid drivers’ license, use of a car for work, and automobile insurance are mandatory conditions of employment in this role.
• Willingness and ability to travel throughout state of California
• Other tasks and duties as assigned

Scope and Nature of Supervision

Organizers may report to a senior organizer, organizing (external) director, field (internal) director or local union officer, other assigned supervisor. Supervision and direction of organizers often changes on a campaign-by-campaign or project-by-project basis. Organizers are frequently expected to operate without day-to-day supervision, to develop their own work plans and goals, and to act with a degree of discretion and independent judgment. Accordingly, they must be strong self-starters and have a commitment to fulfill the objectives of the organization.

Job descriptions are not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of every activity or responsibility that is required for each role.

SEIU Local 2015 is an equal employment opportunity employer committed to recruiting and hiring without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.