New England Health Care Employees Union
District 1199 SEIU

Senior Power Analyst

Based in Connecticut

 

Power Structure Analyst: Vision for this Initiative
District 1199NE seeks to leave no power on the table. Strikes and politics have been the defining levers of power in the local for nearly 50 years. With the consolidation of corporate forces over that same period, even more power must be developed for healthcare workers to win the justice they, their families, and the communities they serve, deserve. In collaboration with UC Berkeley’s Labor Center, 1199NE will develop an additional source of power, the community.

This position will support the creation of a bottom-up, member-centered program to harness the power of the community. The work has two foci: (1) helping members to better understand the official, complex structures of power that embed every labor market, as well as the less visible, often hidden power structures impacting their lives; and (2) enabling members to create a successful approach to harness the many community connections they already possess and turn connections into a durable coalition for justice.

We organize, research, analyze, and work hours based on the needs of our members and the campaign. You will be expected to work long and irregular hours as needed for the campaign. This position is based in Connecticut.

Authority and Accountability
This position reports directly to the President of the union and collaborates with the UC Berkeley Labor Center’s lead on the project. The Power Structure Analyst will work in close, daily coordination with the Power and Strategy Coordinator. They will work closely with worker leaders on the 1199 Faith Committee, member organizers who work with this initiative, as well as the union’s research and political teams. This position offers an exciting opportunity to be part of a high-impact, highly principled union with a healthy democratic tradition.

Overall Responsibilities Include:
The PSA analyst will create a power structure analysis of the state of Connecticut and key labor markets/communities within the state to inform the strategic priorities of 1199, and then maintain and update it as the union and community allies begin to shift the power structure in their favor.

This position involves managing a high volume of data in an ever-changing landscape. To this end, the PSA analyst will not only be responsible for compiling and analyzing different types of data but will also be responsible for creating, maintaining and regularly updating well-organized data storage systems.

Being a core member of the union’s political education team, the PSA analyst will be responsible for developing pedagogical practices to help members and the workers around them understand capitalism (our political-economic system) and the ever-evolving power structure in their communities.

Details of Responsibilities Include:
In-Depth Research:

• Conduct semi-structured interviews with faith leaders, secular community institutional players, local policy makers, and others as deemed relevant
• Daily media tracking to identify key member and community issues, policy fights, who is involved with these issues/fights, and the state of public debate
• Compile and analyze socio-demographic, income and other statistics for the state and local communities
• Map the political and legislative landscape and compile/analyze voting data.
• In-depth research on policy fights, elections, and other key items using databases (e.g., NexisUni)
• Maintain organized data storage systems
• Use data to build assessments of power to inform 1199's strategic priorities

Lock-Step Coordination and Alignment with 1199 Staff and Leadership:

• Work with 1199 membership to chart their community connections
• Attend community events and meetings
• Collaborate with organizing staff and other partners in regular meetings to share work done and to support setting strategic priorities

Synthesize Information and Share Regular Updates:

• Integrate investigations with strategic thinking around points of leverage
• Question all “facts” and assumptions, and find verifiable data for assessments regarding the labor market power structure
• Keep meticulous track of progress of analysis and of assessments
• Produce thorough briefs and interactive presentations for 1199 leadership, staff, membership, and broader community allies and incorporate their knowledge into the analysis.

A job well done results in creating a member-based additional front for power – their own community. This includes members throughout the union understanding their ties to their own community and matching it against our learnings about where key sources of informal power exist. Members come to see themselves as having a new identity: community leader.

Basic Qualifications (required at start date)

• A minimum of five years’ experience in research and policy analysis
• Strong mixed-methods research skills
• Proven ability to carry out complex research and policy analyses in the area of labor and employment
• Experience discussing complex information and analysis in organizing settings with staff and members
• Strong written, and communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of a team

Preferred Qualifications

• 1-2 years—or more—of experience in new organizing
• Experience working with academic researchers and stakeholders such as unions, worker centers, and varied constituencies
• Established track record of conducting labor market analysis while also considering the role of race, gender and immigration status in the workforce

Start Date and Nature of Position
Position will be full-time and in Connecticut; salary will be commensurate with experience. Expected start date is as soon as we find you or you find us and can make starting the work happen!

SEIU New England is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status.

To Apply:
Please email your most recently updated résumé, a cover letter (required), two writing samples (required) and contact information for 3 references. Letters of reference are not required at this time. We will seek your permission before contacting your references. All materials will be treated as confidential.

Send cover letter and résumé to:

Katie Bordonaro, Executive Assistant to the President
77 Huyshope Avenue, Hartford CT 06106
Email: kbordonaro@seiu1199ne.org