United Domestic Workers of America
AFSCME Local 3930

Climate Justice Organizer

Based in Bakersfield, CA

 

UDW Overview:
United Domestic Workers of America, UDW/AFSCME Local 3930, is a statewide labor union that represents more than 170,000 home care and childcare providers in 45 counties throughout California. Founded in 1979, UDW is a diverse, progressive labor organization that seeks dynamic, committed individuals who will support our members and those for whom they care locally, statewide and at the national level.

UDW is California’s largest union of home care and childcare providers and consistently supported and led our community’s social justice initiatives including racial justice, income inequality and affordable health care for all. We are committed to respect and dignity for Californians with disabilities, families, children, the sick, and the elderly. We fight for better working conditions collectively and fair pay and better benefits for home care and childcare providers and full funding for the programs and benefits these providers need. For more information about United Domestic Workers of America (UDW), please visit our website at http://www.udw.org/

Job Information:
Job Title: Climate Justice Organizer
Job Type: Exempt (Salary)
Department: Organizing & Field Services
Reports to: Assistant Director of Internal Operations, Northern Region
Office Hours: Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM (subject to changes)
Job Location: Bakersfield or Merced, CA
Salary Range: (Climate Justice Organizer I, II, III: depending on experience)
Organizer I $66,560.00 to $82,212.00
Organizer II $69,888.00 to $86,322.60
Organizer III $73,382.40 to $90,638.73

Job Summary:
Climate Justice Organizers are crucial in advancing environmental equity by conducting diverse organizing activities, including member recruitment, training, and campaign management. They focus on prioritizing vulnerable communities, reducing environmental injustices, ensuring fair distribution of benefits, and facilitating a sustainable economic transition. Their work addresses the disproportionate impacts of climate change on marginalized groups, tackling issues such as detrimental health impacts of oil and gas drilling, housing inequalities, insurance accessibility, food security, and language barriers. By implementing UDW’s organizational initiatives, these organizers strive to create a more equitable and sustainable future for all.

Duties and Responsibilities
Organizer I

• Design and implement educational programs on climate justice, including workshops and leadership trainings for members and district health and welfare councils.
• Train members to conduct participatory action research, facilitate focus groups, and engage in community-based climate risk assessments.
• Collaborate with district health and welfare councils to address local and regional climate justice issues, explore campaigns, and support recommendations to the UDW Executive Board.
• Coordinate with field staff on leadership development and involve climate justice-focused members in UDW's priority campaigns.
• Support UDW's community resilience program coordinator in organizing townhalls on climate resilience and justice.
• Coordinate joint projects with environmental and climate justice ally organizations, recruiting and supporting member participation in such coalitions.
• Coordinate and conduct research on climate justice issues relevant to UDW.
• Stay informed about local, regional, state, and national environmental and climate issues and policies.
• Advocate for policies promoting a just transition to a sustainable economy, emphasizing job equity and health considerations for UDW members.
• Identify, recruit, train, and develop union leaders focused on climate justice issues.
• Support members during climate-related emergencies or disasters.
• Create and maintain a database of climate-vulnerable members to better target support and resources.
• Mobilize and engage membership for climate justice events and actions.
• Collaborate with local government agencies on climate adaptation and mitigation plans considering home care and childcare providers' needs.
• Develop effective communication systems to reach members and providers on climate justice matters.
• Collaborate with language experts to ensure climate-related information is accessible to non-English speaking communities.
• Maintain work files and comply with administrative reporting related to climate justice initiatives.
• Develop metrics and evaluation methods to assess the impact of climate justice initiatives on UDW members and their communities.

Organizer II
All duties of an Organizer I and the following:

• Writes leaflets and other materials for campaigns, projects, and organizing initiatives.
• Support and execute effective staff development, training, and team building, particularly related to climate justice.
• Support coalition-building efforts to support local and statewide campaign goals.
• Develop and maintain ties with partner organizations, allies, and community leaders.
• Manage lists, charts, and databases.
• Meet statewide goals and deadlines.
• Responsible for supporting internal organizers’ success in meeting statewide goals and deadlines.
• Inform the supervisor of assigned campaigns' activities, developments, and progress.
• Support teams of staff and workers to achieve key strategic or campaign objectives.
• With guidance, develop and coordinate campaigns, programs, contract negotiations, elections, and strikes.
• Demonstrate commitment and behaviors in line with UDW’s values and policies.
• Integrate politics, community relationships and organizing support into the daily work.

Organizer III
All duties of an Organizer I and Organizer II and the following:

• Propose, execute, and evaluate strategic plans and daily, weekly, and monthly work plans based on assigned goals and objectives.
• Assist leadership in developing and executing climate justice campaign plans.
• Develop and implement strategies to address specific vulnerabilities of marginalized communities.
• Participates in selecting targets for external and internal organizing campaigns; researches potential organizing targets; and collects and analyzes potential target data and information.
• Assist in expediting the resolution of members’ complaints and/or concerns.
• Assist with department projects and perform other high-level duties as required or assigned, which are reasonably within the scope of the duties in this job classification.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Environmental Policy Understanding: A strong grasp of environmental policies and climate justice principles is essential
• Intersectional Awareness: The ability to recognize and address how climate change intersects with various social issues, including housing, insurance, food security, and language barriers.
• Campaign Planning and Execution: Experience in developing and implementing climate justice campaigns
• Leadership Development: Skills in identifying, recruiting, training, and developing union leaders focused on climate justice issues
• Research Coordination: Ability to coordinate and conduct research on climate justice topics relevant to the organization's mission
• Public Speaking: Excellent presentation and public speaking skills for conducting workshops, trainings, and community townhalls
• Cultural Competence: Ability to work effectively with diverse communities and demographic groups
• Relationship Building: Skill in establishing rapport and credibility with various stakeholders, including elected officials and community organizations
• Strategic Thinking: Strong strategic and critical thinking skills, particularly in relation to climate justice issues
• Analytical Ability: Capacity to think analytically and contribute to complex problem-solving in a fast-paced environment
• Project Management: Ability to effectively prioritize and multi-task assignments and responsibilities
• Data Management: Skills in maintaining work files and complying with administrative reporting related to climate justice initiatives
• Digital Literacy: Proficiency in relevant computer applications and digital tools
• Communication Systems: Ability to develop and utilize various communication systems to reach members effectively on climate justice matters
• Emergency Response: Capability to support members during climate-related emergencies or disasters

Preferred Qualifications, Education, and/or Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Environmental Studies, Political Science, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• 3 to 7+ years of experience in labor organizing or environmental, particularly in the context of social justice initiatives.
• Demonstrated knowledge of intersectional issues related to climate change, such as housing inequalities, insurance accessibility, and food security.
• Proven track record in developing and implementing community-based climate resilience strategies.
• Experience in policy advocacy, particularly in environmental and labor-related areas.
• Proficiency in data management and analysis tools relevant to climate justice research and reporting.
• Background in participatory action research methodologies and community engagement techniques.
• Experience in developing and delivering educational programs on complex topics to diverse audiences.
• Familiarity with California's specific environmental challenges and climate policies.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with government agencies and non-profit organizations on collaborative projects.
• Experience in grant writing or fundraising for environmental or social justice initiatives.
• Experience in leading members and/or coworkers as part of a team to achieve related goals.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and public speaking skills.

Requirements

• Must possess a valid California driver's license, auto insurance that covers business driving, and an automobile for business use.
• Willingness to work long and irregular hours, often including nights and weekends.
• Willingness to travel

Preferred Bilingual Language(s) in either:

• Spanish
• Vietnamese
• Korean
• Tagalog
• Russian
• Assyrian
• Somali
• Arabic

Requirements:

• Must possess a valid California driver’s license, auto insurance that covers business driving, and an automobile for business use.
• Willingness to work long and irregular hours, often including nights and weekends.
• Willingness to travel.

Employee Benefits:

• Health Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Life / AD&D
• Long Term Disability (LTD)
• 401(k) Savings Plan
• Pension Plan
• Paid Vacation Days
• Paid Sick Leave
• Personal Day (8 hours)
• 16 Paid Holiday
• Floating Holiday
• Upskilling through eLearning Platform

COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement:
UDW has adopted a COVID-19 vaccination policy to safeguard the health and well-being of our employees. As a condition of employment, our employees are required to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, unless a reasonable accommodation is approved or as otherwise required by law.

Physical Demands:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions. While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to talk and listen. The employee frequently is required to use hands or fingers, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls. The employee is required to stand, walk; sit; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance, and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, and the ability to adjust focus. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Work Environment:
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is primarily exposed to an office-type environment. The employee will frequently work on or around office equipment and furniture. The noise level in the work environment is low to moderate. The employee will frequently work with deadlines under pressure and will occasionally be required to work alone. The employee is occasionally exposed to outdoor environments which can include exposure to vehicles, moving mechanical parts; vibration; odors, fumes, gases, smoke, dust, or airborne particles; and outside weather conditions.

Equal Opportunity Employer:
UDWA is an equal opportunity employer, and, as such, does not discriminate against an employee or applicant based on race, creed, color, age, sex, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, religious affiliation, disability, or any other classification protected from discrimination under applicable law.

Notice of E-Verify Participation:
This employer participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. If E-Verify cannot confirm that you are authorized to work, this employer is required to give you written instructions and an opportunity to contact Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or Social Security Administration (SSA) so you can begin to resolve the issue before the employer can take any action against you, including terminating your employment. Employers can only use E-Verify once you have accepted a job offer and completed the Form I-9. For more information on E-Verify, or if you believe that your employer has violated its E-Verify responsibilities, please contact DHS (888) 897-7781, dhs.gov/e-verify

Women, people of color, people with disabilities, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community are strongly encouraged to apply.

To Apply:
To apply for this position, please visit UDW’s career page and submit your application. UDW’s career link → https://udwa.hiringplatform.com/list/careers