Arise Chicago trains, organizes, and develops the leadership of low-wage, primarily immigrant workers and religious allies to improve working conditions and advance working family policies.
Job Description:
Full time position to train and support individual and groups of low-wage, primarily immigrant workers to improve their workplace conditions and grow as worker leaders. The Workplace Campaigns Organizer supports workers recruit coworkers, develop and carry out a strategy, and directly negotiate with employers. Details below.
The Organizer reports to Worker Center Program Director.
Responsibilities:
Organize Workplace Justice Campaigns (75%)
Conduct comprehensive individual and group intakes for workplace justice campaigns regarding workplace problems such as wage theft, health & safety hazards, discrimination, and sexual harassment
Organize members to collect evidence of workplace exploitation, gather information about their employer target, and gain co-worker support
Develop campaign strategies and communicate risks to workers
Organize members to lead direct actions including community delegations, public protests, press conferences, and employer negotiations
Coordinate comprehensive campaign strategy with community and religious allies, government agencies, and attorneys
Coordinate with Communications Director to prepare members to communicate their campaigns, including to allies and media
Participate in weekly staff meetings to select, plan, and evaluate workplace justice campaigns
Maintain good campaign records and enter worker campaign data into database
Conduct campaign closing interviews to elicit members’ recommendations for improvements and recruit members for continued leadership development
Assess workplace justice campaigns to identify organizing opportunities and refer members to the Strategic Campaigns Organizer
Train and supervise organizing interns
Provide support to the Strategic Campaigns organizer
Support Member Organizer to Develop Member Leadership (15%)
Recruit campaign leaders to become Arise members
Work closely with the Member Organizer to train worker members in organizing skills and link to other educational opportunities
In conjunction with the Member Organizer, recommend members to attend the Leadership Institute, join member committees, become trainers, and join the Board of Directors
Assist Member Organizer to mobilize members for organizational events, meet with funders, speak to the media, attend coalition meetings, volunteer at the office, and otherwise become more involved in the organization
Facilitate worker member consciousness and foster analysis of individual workplace exploitation in relation to broader social issues and systemic inequality
Participate in other Arise Chicago Activities as needed (10%)
Provide support for Arise Chicago’s broader campaigns including: union solidarity campaigns, immigrant rights campaigns, and public policy campaigns
Contribute to Arise Chicago’s overall strategy and organizational development
Collect and submit campaign data reports for evaluation and grants
Support fundraising, communications, and other administrative tasks
Skills & Qualifications:
Required Qualifications
Full Spanish and English oral and written fluency is required. Please do not apply if you are not fully bilingual
Excellent communication, presentation, and meeting facilitation skills
Basic training in community or union organizing
Comfort and skill with conflict, disputes and negotiations
Ability to assess, manage, and communicate risks
Strong respect for and comfort working with diverse religious communities
Collaborative working spirit and strong interpersonal skills
Commitment to social justice and the empowerment of low-income communities
Basic computer skills
Basic math skills needed for calculating owed wages
Preferred Qualifications
2 years of community or union organizing experience preferred
Familiarity with employment law
Familiarity with leadership development practices
Compensation commensurate with experience. Excellent benefits including health, dental, long and short term disability, and generous vacation and sabbatical policies. Unique, collaborative and supportive work environment, with talented and dedicated team.
Arise Chicago is an equal opportunity employer. In order to best reflect our membership, immigrants, people of color, and women are especially encouraged to apply.
Please include “Workplace Campaigns Organizer Application” in the subject line.
About Arise Chicago
Arise Chicago is a 28-year old, nationally renowned workers' rights organization.
Arise Chicago trains, organizes, and develops the leadership of low-wage, primarily immigrant workers; and organizes religious community support for worker campaigns. Arise trains and organizes workers directly in their workplaces, and develops workers to lead city, county, and state legislative campaigns to create systemic change for working people. In the past 18 years, Arise has supported workers to recover over $8 Million in owed wages and compensation.
Recent accomplishments include winning Chicago and Cook County Anti-Wage Theft ordinances; in coalition, passing Chicago and Cook County Paid Sick Days Ordinances, and the Illinois Domestic Workers Bill of Rights, and creating a Chicago Office of Labor Standards.
