SEIU (Local 26)

Seiu 49; Minneapolis (MN); Hybrid; USD 72,000 - 88,000; Full time

Job summary

SEIU Local 26 is seeking a seasoned organizer to lead the internal organizing janitorial department in the Minneapolis area. The role includes supervising multiple organizers, developing strategy, enforcing contracts, and building member leadership.

Daily work includes staff supervision, campaign planning, recruitment and mentoring of stewards, and mobilizing members for actions and contract fights. Bilingual languages (Spanish or Somali) are a bonus.

Qualifications

• Extensive worksite organizing experience with low-wage workers.
• Supervisory experience with diverse staff.
• Strong computer skills and proficiency with databases and communications.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute an internal organizing plan for janitorial members.
• Supervise leads of each sector and coordinate organizing campaigns.
• Recruit, mentor, and mobilize stewards and activists.
• Design communications and manage organizing lists and databases.
• Plan grievances, meetings, and actions to enforce contracts.
• Collaborate with other union staff and support member leadership.

Skills

Worksite organizing

Supervisory experience

Campaign planning

People leadership

Bilingual (Spanish/Somali)

Job description

Based in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul Metropolitan Area, MN

Background:
SEIU local 26 is a dynamic local of over 8000 janitors, security officers, and airport workers in Minnesota, the people who clean and protect some of largest corporate headquarters in the world and who have a proud history of militant fights for social and economic justice.

• The janitorial division, a multilingual bargaining unit made up of Latin American, East African, and American-born workers, created an alliance in 2009 with environmentalist allies to win some of the first Green Cleaning language in the country, and later struck in February 2020 to reduce climate change emissions in our industry, and 2024 to expand a green training fund.
• Local 26 members were some of the first security officers in the country to go on strike and engaged in acts of strategic civil disobedience to win their contracts, to raise standards within their industry across 2000 suburban and downtown officers. Our union also has led fights for racial justice that resulted in organizing over 1000 workers at MSP airport, and created the first retail store cleaners master contract in the country.

Description:
This position will manage the internal organizing Janitorial department, including multiple internal organizers. The position will coordinate and be responsible to develop strategy and program for the janitorial members within the Local, including enforcement of the existing contract and the fight for the next one. Will supervise staff and brigades (members on short term leaves of absence). Extensive worksite organizing and campaigns with low wage workers, and supervisory experience with staff of diverse backgrounds, and strong computer skills are highly recommended. Bilingual language skills are a bonus, as significant majority of the membership speaks Spanish or Somali.

Duties may include, but are not limited to:

• Develop, implement, and evaluate a plan to achieve the objectives of the leadership assembly and the elected leadership of the local in the internal organizing department.
• Daily supervision of the leads of each sector within the internal organizing department.
• Leadership development and skills building of the other organizers in this area, including sector specific plans.
• Building an extensive and comprehensive network of worksite leaders, member-activists; developing a member leadership program, working with potential members to identify, train and develop rank and file leaders;
• Recruiting and mentoring of new stewards, leaders and activists; Engaging in one-on-one persuasion, assessment and motivation of workers at the worksite, in meetings, on the phone and on home visits as necessary.
• This position will both have lead responsibilities, but will also have significant direct organizing turf.
• Designing, preparing, and distributing communications, including social media, meeting notices, flyers, newsletters, and other literature;
• Maintaining organizing lists and databases, and using them to drive the work, and coordinate with other departments.
• Planning and coordinating grievances, meetings and public actions to enforce contract language and win new contracts;
• Mobilizing membership and ensuring turn-out for community, political and union events;
• Leading the development of campaigns to further the interests of the members and the power of our union.
• Working collaboratively with other union staff in other skill areas
• Other duties as needed

Pay and Benefits:
This is a position beginning fall of 2026. Pay is up to $80,000 annual salary. This position has fully employer paid family Healthcare, pension and other Benefits included.

A car and valid driver’s license are required.

Local 26 is an equal opportunity employer and, given our diverse membership, we particularly encourage applications from women and people of color, and candidates from our own membership.