Field Representative – Southern California

The CFT is the California affiliate of the AFT, AFL-CIO representing education workers in public and private schools and colleges, from early childhood through higher education.

Field representatives for the CFT perform a wide range of tasks covering organizing, negotiating, and training in both public and private sector arenas related to education. A field representative’s responsibilities may include work with certificated and classified employees ranging from preschool through post-graduate. Field representatives are assigned to AFT/CFT locals in specific geographic areas.

Qualifications and Experience

1. Public and private sector employee collective bargaining experience: organizing, contract development and negotiations, education agency budget analysis, grievance administration and arbitration procedures, working knowledge of public employee collective bargaining laws and national labor relations law and practice, membership recruitment, representational petition campaigns, and elections, and training.
2. Broad understanding of the critical issues and problems facing education and workers in California and the nation.
3. Experience and knowledge with organizing campaigns.
4. Must be able to travel in a broad urban and rural geographic area.
5. Current California driver’s license.

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Designing and running organizing campaigns and collective bargaining elections, including the filing of campaign petitions
2. Representing the CFT before the Public Employment Relations Board and the National Labor Relations Board
3. Designing and running internal membership drives
4. Designing basic flyers and writing basic campaign literature
5. Designing and conducting contract surveys
6. Writing contract language
7. Negotiating collective bargaining contracts using traditional and non-traditional formats and models
8. Analyzing budgets (with some assistance from the CFT Research Department)
9. Filing grievances and unfair labor practice charges, representing members at hearings, with assistance from legal counsel, as necessary
10. Organizing and maintaining area councils and/or regional training programs for locals in the field representative’s assignment
11. Assisting in get-out-the-vote and related political activities
12. Assisting locals in compliance with national and state affiliate constitutional obligations
13. Trouble shooting, brainstorming, and assisting locals in their day-to-day activities
14. Advising locals on grievances, arbitrations, negotiations, budgets, and concerted activities
15. Conducting training sessions for locals and members

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

1. Knowledge of public and private sector labor law
2. Knowledge of collective bargaining laws (NLRB, EERA, HEERA)
3. Knowledge of California education law
4. Knowledge of CFT’s positions on education issues
5. Knowledge of school finance
6. Knowledge of AFL-CIO labor relations
7. Knowledge of AFT/CFT special services and benefits
8. Knowledge of CFT’s candidate endorsements
9. Ability to work rapidly and accurately during rush periods
10. Ability to strategize, organize, plan activities, and set priorities
11. Ability to take charge and to direct, develop and coordinate activities
12. Ability to secure relevant information and solve problems
13. Ability to make decisions, render judgments and take appropriate action
14. Ability to work with others
15. Ability to work independently with a minimum of supervision
16. Ability to research work-related questions in appropriate sources
17. Ability to strategize and plan a collective bargaining campaign
18. Ability to negotiate collective bargaining agreements from initial surveys through completion
19. Ability to analyze budgets
20. Ability to accurately and coherently compose correspondence, charges, grievances, arbitration briefs, basic campaign literature, flyers, and bargaining language
21. Ability to make public presentations to audiences in a range of venues
22. Ability to design and present training sessions
23. Ability to represent employees in grievances and arbitration hearings
24. Ability to set up and run phone banks

How to Apply for the Position

• Submit a letter of application, résumé, references, and three writing samples.
• Email letter and accompanying information to Human Resources.

Membership in the CFT Field Representatives Union is required. CFT requires proof of vaccination as a condition of employment.

If you have any questions, please call (707) 853-0895 or email Daniel Martin, Chief of Staff.

The CFT is an equal opportunity affirmative action employer.

Salary Range: $102,801 to $143,652 (Steps 1 – V on step schedule), depending on qualifications and experience, plus benefit package including health, dental, vision, and retirement program.