SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania

Political Organizer

For covering Western PA

 

Role: The work of the Political Organizer includes recruiting, organizing, and mobilizing workers to participate in the movement to improve the lives of working people, our patients/participants, and our communities and build a more just and humane society. Political Organizers engage in designing, developing, and implementing strategies and campaigns, coordinating with allies and community partners, building and holding key relationships with stakeholders and decision-makers, and aligning broader coalitions to achieve concrete policy outcomes and building political power. A Political Organizer operates across the three sectors of our healthcare union (nursing homes, hospitals, homecare) to build political power for caregivers and staff, and to advocate, pass and enforce policy that improves the jobs and lives of healthcare workers and those for whom they care.

Location: Western PA

Duties and Responsibilities: A Political Organizer performs a wide range of duties, which may vary according to the needs of the union program or a specific campaign. Examples of those duties and responsibilities, not intended to be exhaustive nor all inclusive, are listed below:

Organizing Workers/Building Capacity/Identifying and Developing Leaders

1. Identify, recruit, and develop member leaders to lead coworkers and help lead the union’s programs and campaigns (including workplace issues organizing, strategic engagement with employers and others, improving patient care, new organizing, safe staffing advocacy, continuing education, COPE political action fundraising, electoral and legislative action, and community work).
2. Develop members to become capable of executing important union and campaign roles and functions ensuring members the chance to grow, learn and lead.
3. Lead advocacy teams of members and other workers, working closely and effectively with member leaders, union staff, and other stakeholders.

Mobilizing Member Networks and Leading Campaigns

1. Drive the union’s political and electoral advocacy, with an eye on broader campaign needs and coordination.
2. Lead workers into struggle so that they learn from their experience that their power comes from collective action.
3. Mobilize, coordinate, and support membership networks for various campaigns (including Harrisburg mobilizations, press conferences and public events, advocacy campaigns, collective bargaining campaigns and strikes, workplace issues organizing, new organizing, COPE, and electoral, legislative, community work).
4. Support activities, struggles, and campaigns of other workers, the union as a whole, and allies in the wider movement for social and economic justice.

Interacting Effectively with Union Teams & Fellow Staff

1. Develop campaigns inside and outside of the workplace based on collective issues identified by union members and staff.
2. Incorporate and utilize union resources in member activities (e.g., New Member Orientation, the MRC, sites & social networks, etc.). Keep union staff informed and briefed to help support members and member leaders.
3. Assess and develop potential member leaders and activists identified through member lost time programs (like Member Political Organizer opportunities) and by other staff in the union.

Qualifications:

• A strong commitment to social, racial, and economic justice and the desire to work hard to win;
• Excellent ability to communicate, motivate, and listen to people, and the ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds;
• Display sound organizational skills to plan and manage and prioritize work and balance conflicting demands subject to deadlines in a dynamic and changing environment.
• Ability to work independently with a strong sense of accountability to shared goals;
• Computer and basic social media literacy, particularly Microsoft Office and database applications;
• Prefer candidates with political organizing experience and experience working in the labor movement

Scope and Nature of Supervision: A Political Organizer must be able to effectively organize their time and develop and carry out their plan with minimum supervision. They must also receive direction from and interact with their immediate supervisor on a regular and consistent basis. The political organizer will be supervised the locals Political Director.

Other Expectations:
Organizers are needed to work long and irregular hours and work on weekends and holidays when necessary based on the campaigns
Focus of this role is western PA, but the organizer will need to travel to Harrisburg and other parts of PA at times.
Organizers need valid Driver’s license and regular access to a vehicle (mileage is reimbursed at the IRS rate).

Compensation: Competitive salary range of $61,000 – $86,000 (pay determined on experience based pay scale) and benefits package including fully-paid health insurance, defined-benefit pension, optional 401(k), paid time off, etc.

COVID-19 SAFETY POLICY NOTICE: Subject to applicable law, all prospective hires should have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19 or qualify for a medical or religious accommodation to this vaccination requirement, in accordance with applicable law.

Application: Please be prepared to upload a résumé AND a cover letter explaining why you are interested in this position.

Apply at this link: https://bit.ly/4gZ3C03

About Us: SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania unites 35,000 nurses and healthcare workers across the continuum of care. We are the nurses, professional and technical employees, direct care and service workers who work in Pennsylvania’s hospitals, nursing homes, home- and community-based services, and state health facilities. Together, we work to unite all nurses and healthcare workers, organize at work and in the community, drive public policy and legislation, and build a broad, strong movement for good jobs, quality care, and healthy communities across Pennsylvania.

SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Women, LGBT people, and people of color are strongly encouraged to apply