Organizer

Job Description: Organizer

Position: Organizer

Location: Durham, North Carolina

Reports to: Campaign Field Coordinator

Employer: Southern Service Workers Education Fund, Inc. (SSWEF)

About Southern Service Workers Education Fund, Inc.

SSWEF is a worker organization building power with low-wage workers across the South. We organize alongside workers and community partners to challenge exploitation, raise standards, and advance racial and economic justice. Our campaigns combine deep organizing, worker leadership development, and community solidarity to win real improvements in workers’ lives while building a broader movement for economic and racial justice in the South.

Position Overview

The Organizer will be responsible for building a strong worker organization on the shop floor. This position is focused on recruiting and developing worker leadership, building organizing committees across departments, helping lead actions and events that further campaign goals, and working as part of a team to advance the goals of SSWEF.

This role requires commitment to building racial, economic, and social justice. Our focus is on empowering low-wage workers to take action and join the labor movement, rooted in the South’s tradition of worker organizing and resistance.

Key Responsibilities

• Worker
  • Build and sustain a strong organizing committee across large worksites.
  • Build one-on-one relationships with workers.
  • Recruit, train, and develop rank-and-file worker leaders to guide and lead campaigns.
  • Unite, motivate, and move individuals and groups of workers to participate in campaigns.
  • Conduct individual and group meetings with workers to identify key issues and discuss and plan organizing campaigns.
  • Engage workers in actions and events that further the campaigns goals such as department meetings, petitions, delegations, chapter meetings, solidarity events, and disruptive actions
  • Work in a team to plan and execute actions and events that further campaign goals
  • Engage workers in planning and executing collective efforts to address workplace concerns
• Movement Building
  • Build solidarity across race, gender, occupation, and community.
  • Connect worker organizing to SSWEF’s larger campaigns for racial, economic, and social justice.
  • Participate and engage workers in broader organizing efforts to bring pressure to bear on industry sectors

Qualifications

• Demonstrated commitment to racial, gender, economic, and social justice.
• Demonstrated commitment and ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds.
• Experience in union organizing, grassroots organizing, or campaign-driven base-building preferred.
• Excellent communication, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills.
• Competency making and following through on a work plan.
• Foundational writing and computer skills including ability to input data daily.
• Willingness to conduct in-person house visits and work site visits.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, manage your time effectively, manage multiple priorities, and meet deadlines.
• Ability to motivate and activate others.
• Ability to work long and irregular hours including evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed.
• Willingness to travel for extended periods of time.
• Must possess a valid driver's license, auto insurance, and an automobile for business use.
• Work is generally performed from a field office setting or other location to complete the required assignments of the position. This position is not remote. It is based in Durham.
• Spanish fluency a plus but not required.

Salary is $72,000 a year. The position will offer benefits including fully covered medical, dental and vision insurance for individual and family; 401(K); and paid time off.

The position will offer benefits including fully covered medical, dental and vision insurance for individual and family; 401(K); and paid time off.