Organizer I

SEIU Local 2015 Job Description

Position Purpose:

Organizers help workers form, build, and grow our union; assist 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.

Organizer Job Family:

Organizers with less than one year of experience are initially hired into the Organizer I job classification, with a 9 month probation period. The Senior Organizer position is the first level of staff management/supervision for the organizer job family. The next level in progression is Deputy Director and ultimately Division Director.

Required Skills, Abilities and Experience:

• While previous experience in union organizing is highly desirable, there is no hard and fast requirement for experience to start a career as an organizer in training.
• 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.
• Very strong preference will be given to candidates who have completed the SEIU “Wave” training program or other formal training programs for organizers.
• Personal commitment to the mission and goals of SEIU and to the specific program of SEIU Local 2015.
• The ability to exercise discretion and independent judgment are considered key components to achieving organizer performance standards.
• 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 evenings and weekends
• Women and persons of color are strongly encouraged to apply for organizer positions.
• Fluency in a second language is also highly desirable.
• Strong personal planning and time management skills
• 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

Opportunities for Growth and Development:

SEIU Local 2015 is committed to providing staff development opportunities and resources. It is recognized that the majority of an organizer’s skill development happens through on the job experience. These experiences will be a result of Local 2015’s pursuit of new and innovative ways to identify, grow and develop member leaders while growing and developing Local 2015 staff. Local 2015 is committed to becoming a leader in achieving both of these goals in pursuit of justice for all workers and ever-increasing member strength.

Duties and Responsibilities Organizer (representative)

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Plan one’s own work as assigned; make and execute daily, weekly, and monthly work plans based on assigned goals and objectives.
5. 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.
6. Assist in developing digital programing.
7. Work within allotted budget to ensure appropriate and effective financial stewardship of our members’ dues money.
8. 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.
9. Assist leadership and members in building coalitions with community allies and partners that seeks to align our organizational missions and coordinates joint efforts/projects.
10. 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
11. Other tasks and duties as assigned.

Criteria for Evaluation:

The Organizer will be evaluated on his/her ability and skill in assisting the Local to meet its goal of organizing and representing workers successfully. Among other criteria, s/he will be evaluated on the ability to:

• Connect members around vision and goals of the union
• Identify and develop new member leaders and activist
• Train and mentor member leaders and activist
• Execute campaign plans with clear goals, strategies and benchmarks
• Optimize use of local union resources to achieve successful outcomes.
• Develop and maintain a high level of team work, spirit, collaboration and mutual accountability
• Demonstrates the organizational values
• Balance conflicting demands successfully
• Work independently
• Delivers on quantitative and qualitative goals outlined for that year.
• Carry out assigned responsibilities in a competent and professional manner in keeping with the Local’s overall goals and expectations.

Scope and Nature of Supervision:

Organizers may report to a senior organizer, organizing (external) director, field (internal) director or local union officer, other assigned supervisor. Supervision and direction of organizers often changes on a campaign-by-campaign or project-by-project basis. are frequently expected to operate without day-to-day supervision, to develop their own work plans and goals, and to act with a degree of discretion and independent judgment. Accordingly, they must be strong self-starters and have a commitment to fulfill the objectives of the organization.

Job descriptions are not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of every activity or responsibility that is required for each role.

SEIU Local 2015 is an equal employment opportunity employer committed to recruiting and hiring without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.