Oregon Federation of Nurses & Health Professionals
AFT Local 5017

Internal / External Organizer

Based in Portland / Tigard, OR

 

   

The Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals, AFT Local 5017, represents over 6,500 nurses and health professionals in Oregon and Southwest Washington, who are employees of Kaiser Permanente, PeaceHealth, St. Charles, Legacy, and Adventist health systems. OFNHP is an affiliate of the Nurses and Health Professionals division of the AFT, AFL-CIO.

POSITION SUMMARY
Internal/External Organizer: The Internal/External Organizer is part of the team that works together with member leaders to advance the strategic goals of the union and is responsible for supporting implementation of the overall strategic plan established by the executive board and president.

The external organizing side of this position includes being responsible for new union growth, including building relationships with and assessing workers, building and maintaining lists, mapping worksites, identifying and developing worksite leaders, and recruiting and developing organizing committee members and activists. Everything from initial outreach and probing to representation elections, post-election work through contract ratification and membership building. The work requires considerable travel throughout Oregon and SW Washington.

The internal organizing aspect of the work is focused on supporting existing, organized members and others as they become unionized. Internal organizing focuses on building worksite power through issues-based organizing, recruiting and developing stewards and other leaders, running trainings and other development programs for members and leaders, engaging and building relationships with hospital leadership, and all other aspects of working with an established bargaining unit.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Work cooperatively with a team of internal and external organizers, member leaders, and partners to develop and execute a common program.
• Identify, recruit, train, develop and support stewards, activists, and worksite leaders.
• Engage members in union activities.
• Build worksite structures for communication, mobilization, and leadership development.
• Develop and execute plans for campaigns around workplace issues such as unsafe staffing and heavy workloads.
• Support stewards in using the grievance procedure and other tools to enforce union contracts and improve working conditions.
• Develop and execute contract campaigns and build participation in all forms of bargaining.
• Work effectively in a labor-management environment.
• Organize residual work units and bargain accretion agreements.
• Encourage participation in political and community coalition-building activities.
• Prepare and manage work plans, calendars, files, reports, lists and other records as directed.
• Conduct one-on-one organizing conversations to accurately assess and recruit supporters and leaders.
• Work with workers to develop a representative organizing committee and contract action team.
• Write turf plans to implement the overall organizing campaign, while developing and implementing strategies to counter anti-union campaigns.
• Participate in community and strategic external outreach.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

• Minimum of 4 years’ organizing experience.
• Experience with both internal and external organizing.
• Experience negotiating collective bargaining agreements in the private sector.
• Ability to work with and develop member leaders to identify issues, strategize solutions, and build power to secure desired changes in the workplace.
• Commitment to social justice and the organizing model of unionism.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong planning and time management skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively as part of a team.
• Demonstrated self-starter and motivated to work independently.
• Willingness and ability to work long and irregular hours, including evenings, and weekends.
• Willingness and ability to travel for work assignments including driving and overnight stays.
• Valid driver's license and reliable transportation.
• The position is based in the Portland metro area and requires regular travel.

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE

• Knowledge of computer programs, including Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; Google docs, sheets, and related programs; and organizing database software (such as Action Builder, Knack, for example).
• Adept with using social media in the context of an organizing drive and familiarity with visual communications tools (e.g., Canva).
• Public sector organizing.
• Running a contract action team.

Supervision:
The position reports directly to the Chief of Staff or another designee of the president.

Wages & benefits:
This is a CWA Local 7901 represented position. Competitive salary and benefits including holidays, comp days, and vehicle stipends.

To Apply:
Please submit a cover letter and résumé to: OFNHPHR@ofnhp.org. Position will remain posted until filled.

Job postings for OFNHP will be consistent with job descriptions outlined in their respective collective bargaining agreements. Candidates will be subject to passing background and reference checks.

Internal applicants to apply:
If you meet the minimum qualifications and are interested in applying for this position, please submit a cover letter and résumé to OFNHPHR@ofnhp.org. All applications must be received by 5:00 pm on the internal posting deadline to be considered prior to external applicants.

OFNHP is an Equal Opportunity Employer
The Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals is an equal opportunity employer committed to hiring staff who reflect our membership and model the unity and equity that we seek to create in our communities. Women, LGBTQ+, people of color, and immigrants are strongly encouraged to apply. We are committed to creating a diverse environment and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, and/or veteran status.