Lead Organizer

Seiu 49; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 55,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health coverage

Auto allowance

Phone allowance

Pension plan

Generous holidays

Job summary

SEIU Healthcare Michigan (HCMI) seeks a Lead Organizer to guide organizers, implement strategies, and empower workers to address challenges in their industry. This role builds and sustains campaigns, organizes committees, and serves as a union representative. Location: State of Michigan.

Reports to Division Coordinator or Director. The position involves recruitment, campaign planning, member engagement, and collaboration with staff to advance the local's goals, with occasional long hours

Qualifications

• 2+ years of experience in union representation and/or organizing.
• Proven experience in leading teams in organizing or contract campaigns is preferred.
• Basic computer skills; experience with organizing database systems is a plus.
• Strong personal commitment to the mission and goals of SEIU Healthcare Michigan.
• A strong commitment to building a progressive labor movement through organizing the unorganized.
• Ability to work effectively with members and staff from diverse backgrounds.
• Strong capability to establish and uphold organizational priorities and values.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Implement plans for recruitment of industry leaders and members, managing contract and legislative campaigns that achieve positive results for workers.
• Collaborate with a team to develop issues and demands for contract and legislative campaigns while maintaining strong relationships with labor management representatives.
• Address member inquiries, represent members at disciplinary proceedings, and initiate grievances, ensuring compliance with collective bargaining agreements.
• Advance local political campaign objectives by promoting member participation, political donations, action signups, and recruiting political organizers.
• Work collaboratively with other staff to set goals, create actionable plans, and ensure accountability.
• Engage Executive Board members and member leaders in pursuing the local's goals.
• Integrate strategic campaign functions, politics, and new organizing efforts to foster the local’s growth in daily field activities.
• Participate in local mobilization efforts, new member events, unit meetings, leadership conferences, and other multi‑team initiatives.
• Provide constructive feedback to enhance local strategy and implementation.
• Maintain accurate and organized files and records for the membership database, grievances, and collective bargaining.
• Keep the Member Resource Center updated with relevant information and events for member activists and leaders.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Skills

Team leadership

Union organizing

Communication

Stakeholder relations

Tools

Organizing database systems

Job description

About the organization

SEIU Healthcare Michigan (HCMI) is a dynamic labor union and the largest healthcare worker union in the state, representing over 50,000 long‑term care and hospital workers. HCMI members are dedicated to raising standards for healthcare workers and ensuring access to affordable healthcare for all Michiganders.

As part of the two‑million‑member Service Employees International Union (SEIU), we believe in valuing all workers and respecting all people, fostering thriving communities, and leaving a more equitable world for future generations. We work to build a strong, vibrant, multi‑racial, multi‑generational labor movement that centers worker power as the vehicle to create good union jobs and healthy communities for all who call Michigan home.

About the position

The role of Lead Organizer will be to provide leadership to organizers, implementing strategies and plans that empower workers to proactively address challenges and seize opportunities to address issues in their industry. This position conducts internal or external campaigns by building and maintaining organizing committees, making assessments and serving as a union representative.

Location: State of Michigan
Reports to: Division Coordinator or Director

Job Responsibilities

• Implement plans for recruitment of industry leaders and members, managing contract and legislative campaigns that achieve positive results for workers.
• Collaborate with a team to develop issues and demands for contract and legislative campaigns while maintaining strong relationships with labor management representatives.
• Address member inquiries, represent members at disciplinary proceedings, and initiate grievances, ensuring compliance with collective bargaining agreements.
• Advance local political campaign objectives by promoting member participation, political donations, action signups, and recruiting political organizers.
• Work collaboratively with other staff to set goals, create actionable plans, and ensure accountability.
• Engage Executive Board members and member leaders in pursuing the local's goals.
• Integrate strategic campaign functions, politics, and new organizing efforts to foster the local’s growth in daily field activities.
• Participate in local mobilization efforts, new member events, unit meetings, leadership conferences, and other multi‑team initiatives.
• Provide constructive feedback to enhance local strategy and implementation.
• Maintain accurate and organized files and records for the membership database, grievances, and collective bargaining.
• Keep the Member Resource Center updated with relevant information and events for member activists and leaders.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

What are we looking for?

• 2+ years of experience in union representation and/or organizing.
• Proven experience in leading teams in organizing or contract campaigns is preferred.
• Basic computer skills; experience with organizing database systems is a plus.
• Strong personal commitment to the mission and goals of SEIU Healthcare Michigan.
• A strong commitment to building a progressive labor movement through organizing the unorganized.
• Ability to work effectively with members and staff from diverse backgrounds.
• Strong capability to establish and uphold organizational priorities and values
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.

Benefits

SEIU Healthcare Michigan staff enjoy excellent benefits, including comprehensive health coverage (major medical, dental, and vision) for employees and their eligible dependents. Additional perks include an auto and phone allowance or work phone provided, generous holiday policies, and a pension plan.

The position is a full‑time position that occasionally requires long and irregular hours, including some nights, weekends and holidays.

Equal Opportunity Employer

SEIU HCMI is an equal opportunity employer that prohibits discrimination, harassment, and harmful behavior of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, gender identity, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or other protected characteristics as outlined in federal, state, or local laws. All qualified applicants, including minorities, veterans, and people with disabilities, are encouraged to apply. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, and transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

This employer is required to notify all applicants of its rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.