Union Organizer (Organizer I, Commercial Division)

To assist the leadership of Local 615 in building a powerful rank and file union, through organizing and representing workers within the Union's jurisdiction.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Bilingual Spanish/English Required. Portuguese a Plus

An organizer performs a wide range of duties, which may vary according to the needs of the overall program, a specific campaign, or needs of the local as determined by the officers. And Organizer must possess and demonstrate persistence, the ability to build trust, and good judgment. The list below captures some not all of the duties and responsibilities for which an Organizer grade 1 will be evaluated:

1) Build a vision of the Union which results in moving workers within the assignment to take action, including mobilizing turf to Union wide events and actions

2) ID, recruit, and develop leaders and/or stewards within their assignment with a specific plan for each

3) Build effective, active, and interactive member committees, stewards councils or organizing committees with clear plans for its future development

4) Effectively assess their assignment and the individual workers within their assignment. Give accurate assessments to the lead organizer or division director

5) Maintain accurate lists, records or wall charts

6) Make and execute weekly work plan in accordance with the overall campaign plan

7) Communicate problems and concerns to the lead organizer or division director

8) Effectively ID opportunities to use legal/contract violations to advance campaign and ID violations, document violations, file violations (with minimal counsel) and prepare witness in legal or contractual violation cases

9) Interact effectively with company managers and supervisors in addressing the concerns of workers

10) Lead and/or coordinate delegations to contractors, building managers, or owners

11) Plan and/or coordinate rallies at a single location of under 50 participants

12) Run a picket or strike line.

13) Handle grievances through Step 3 as assigned

14) Handle basic communications with building managers, tenants and owners; can stay on message in these interactions

15) Work Effectively with research staff, lead organizer, and director in the development of the campaign strategy and IDing appropriate tactics

16) Understands secondary laws and their affect on our work and successfully navigates this in the development of campaign tactics within their assignment and seeks appropriate legal advice and counsel

17) Can use computers and software to compose, check and forward email and to produce a letter and other basic documents

18) Produce literature for members and workers within assignment and plan its distribution

19) Coordinate the work of member organizers or lost timers, orient the MO or LT to the campaign, and debrief regularly

20) Orient and train a trainee organizer on the basics of his/her assignment and orient them to the campaign

21) Set the tone of what is expected from staff by example

22) Participate in the building of political and community allies

OTHER DUTIES

a) All Organizers may be assigned other duties not included in this job description as required by the organization.

b) All Organizers are expected to respect the processes of the organization and are expected to work within the framework of the organization to resolve internal disputes and issues.

Requirements:

In addition to the above listed job duties and responsibilities, there are conditions and requirements which are essential and are therefore mandatory for anyone occupying the post.

1) Must have a valid drivers license and a working car with the required car insurance

2) Must be able to speak the primary language of the workers in the assigned area and commit to becoming bilingual within a reasonable time period

3) Dress appropriately for given job assignments

4) Must be able to travel between various sites in short time periods, ascend flights of stairs, and participate in marches and demonstrations of at least 3 hours in duration.

5) Must be willing to and capable of travel within and outside of the local union's jurisdiction for the purposes of campaign work, support work for national union priorities or education/training

Scope and Nature of Supervision:

The Organizer must be able to act independently while keeping the lead organizer or division director updated on their progress in meeting goals for their assignment. It is expected that Organizers are self-starters who are self-driven. Organizers are expected to execute a weekly work-plan with minimal daily supervision. Organizers are supervised by the division director and all concerns regarding terms and conditions of employment should be addressed to the appropriate director. However Organizer may be mentored by lead organizers with whom they will regularly debrief their daily progress in completing their goals for their assignment. They will also receive from the Lead or Senior Organizer day to day direction on current assignments and help in achieving campaign goals.

Additional Criteria for Evaluation:

Organizers will be evaluated on their ability and skill in assisting Local 615 to meet its goal of organizing and representing workers successfully and on their effectiveness at the above listed job duties. Among other criteria they will be evaluated is their ability to work independently, to work with other staff and members during campaigns, balance conflicting demands successfully, their execution of the plan for their assignment, their success at meeting the goals set for their assignment and their ability to work according to deadlines.

Working Conditions:

Organizers are required to work long and irregular hours including work on weekends and on holidays as necessary. The work of a Union organizer necessitates flexibility as demands and priorities for a particular campaign or the overall organization shift. It is expected that organizers be available during the times that workers in their assigned area are available at their work site, home or other locale.

Submission Instructions: Please send résumé and cover letter (no phone calls please) to:

Roxana Rivera

SEIU Local 615
26 West Street, 3^rd Floor
Boston, MA 02111
Fax: 617-878-7580
Email: rrivera@seiu615.org