External Organizer I

SERVICE EMPLOYEES INTERNATIONAL UNION•West Sacramento, CA

About The Position

Organizers lead workers to form, build, and grow our union; guide workers to negotiate and enforce their union contracts; mobilize workers around worksite issues, politics, public policy, and other issues affecting the lives of workers; develop rank-and-file leadership among workers; and carry out all other programs of the union in the field. SEIU Local 2015 organizers may be assigned to work as “internal” organizers – working with and on behalf of workers who are already in unions; or as “external” organizers – working with and on behalf of workers who are in the process of building a union for the first time.

Requirements

Experience with the following types of employers is highly significant: labor unions, progressive issue advocacy organizations, community organizations, political campaigns and staff of elected officials.
Personal commitment to the mission and goals of SEIU and to the specific program of SEIU Local 2015.
Exercise discretion and independent judgment are considered key components to achieving organizer performance standards.
Ability to work under pressure
Ability to identify and assess worker issues
The ability to work with a team and independently
Ability to track campaign data, evaluate and effectively move turf
Assist in running worker meetings
Are deeply committed to improving workers lives and build a strong labor movement
Are self-motivated to achieve campaign goals
Strong personal planning and time management skills
Excellent oral and written communication skills
Basic computer literacy on Windows-based computer programs in order to perform necessary campaign data management and administrative work
Willingness and ability to work long, irregular hours, including early morning, evenings and weekends
The ability to work with people from other cultures and backgrounds
Having a valid drivers’ license, use of a car for work, and automobile insurance are mandatory conditions of employment in this role.
Willingness and ability to travel throughout state of California
Other tasks and duties as assigned

Nice To Haves

Very strong preference will be given to candidates who have completed the SEIU “Wave” training program or other formal training programs for organizers.
Fluency in a second language is also highly desirable

Responsibilities

Organizer (representative)
Membership recruitment and COPE/PAF (Committee on Political Empowerment/Political Accountability Fund) Fundraising. This is seen as a primary duty of an organizer, with COPE contribution/membership indivisible from membership recruitment goals.
Assess, identify, recruit, and develop workers into activists and leaders via house visits, worksite visits, organizing meetings, phone calls and literature, for example; prepare meeting agendas and other communication tools such as emails, fliers, etc.
Assist in developing worker leaders through conducting basic trainings providing appropriate tools to lead and holding them accountable to clear goals regarding the execution of the Local’s program in workplaces and communities.
Plan one’s own work as assigned; make and execute daily, weekly, and monthly work plans based on assigned goals and objectives.
Engage in strategic thinking to assess issues, evaluate a campaign and its components, achieve goals of the union in the field, anticipate and understand management and industrial activity, and provide reports and analysis to local leadership.
Work within allotted budget to ensure appropriate and effective financial stewardship of our members’ dues money.
Understand how to conduct basic research to gather and track information about workers, employers, NLRB or PERB rules and economic/financial conditions and apply information to development of organizing, bargaining, and other issue campaigns.
Develop plans to mobilize and lead member-volunteers in key union activities including organizing campaigns, labor-to-labor political campaigns, grassroots lobbying, issue campaigns, ballot initiative campaigns, media activity, fundraising, and legislative/issue advocacy in support of the union’s collective bargaining.
Assist leadership and members in building coalitions with community allies and partners that seeks to align our organizational missions and coordinates joint efforts/projects.
Provide leadership by helping to build the team at Local 2015.
Exercise effective team building with members, local staff, international staff and Change to Win labor coalition, CLC, or staff of other allied organizations when assigned to a collaborative project
Other tasks and duties as assigned.