The AFT-Oregon Member Organizer Institute is seeking member organizers—AFT members who want to develop their organizing skills to build their union through outreach to other employees about their issues, rights in the workplace and how we can improve our lives and communities together as union members.
Through this program, member organizers will be participating in a intensive paid training program that includes a three-day organizing training with other institute member organizers, real-world field experience under guidance from AFT, AFT Oregon and local organizing staff and regular debriefs and assessments of skills and outcomes.
The goal of the institute is to train union members to build power, grow our membership levels, engage current members in our union and ensure the long-term sustainability of AFT locals by having members trained to continue their organizing work and help develop other members after participating in the institute. The program seeks to foster a culture of organizing, member engagement and accountability among member organizers, staff and local leadership.
Participation in the institute is for a ten to eleven week period. If accepted and hired to participate in the institute, member organizers will be expected to work ten hours a week for the duration of the program.
As the AFT seeks to build and expand our capacity and develop new leaders, we want to recruit members who haven’t been engaged or held leadership positions in their union to do this work or previously participated in the member organizer program.
Entry into the Member Organizer Institute is competitive and positions are considered across all participating AFT Oregon locals, only those who meet the requirements and submit an application and complete the interview process will be considered.
Member Organizer Responsibilities & Requirements
Duties
Member organizer duties include:
- Conducting in person one-on-one conversations and small-group meetings to talk with colleagues and other workers about their issues and rights in the workplace
- Identify, recruit and mentor leaders.
- Activate and engage members.
- Recruit new members.
- Making assessments, identifying social networks and leaders, and moving workers to action.
- Participating in debrief meetings, trainings and team activities.
- Maintaining and coordinating database information on employees for organizing purposes.
- Weekly reporting of outcomes.
- Help develop a personalized organizing plan based on targeting and training and coordinate your member organizing work with the goals of your local union.
Requirements
Participants must:
- Be current members of their local union. Non-members will be considered only after they become members.
- Spend up to 10 hours a week performing activities related to the program and commit to the full term of the program.
- Participate in trainings, debriefs and team activities.
- Be willing to challenge themselves and others.
- Have a valid driver’s license, have an insured vehicle and be willing to drive routes as required.
- Be willing to engage with colleagues and other workers via house visits, canvassing, phone conversations and worksite visits.
- Participants may be required to work some evenings, weekends, school recesses and holidays.
- Have a basic knowledge of data entry.
- Not have previously participated in an AFT member organizer program. The purpose of the program is to recruit and train new members and activists to expand our capacity in locals.
Compensation
Member organizers will be paid $15/hour, for a maximum of 10 hours a week ($150/week), during the program period from January 14, 2019 through March 22, 2019.
Testimonial
How to apply
If you are interested in applying for this program, please fill out an application and send it to Jessica Foster, jfoster@aft.org. Applications will be accepted through November 26, 2018.