Organizer

SEIU Healthcare is a union of more than 60,000 members who are frontline healthcare workers in hospitals, long-term care facilities, and homecare agencies in communities throughout Ontario. We advocate with our members by launching progressive member driven programs, adapting best practices, and encouraging new and innovative ideas. We strive to create a society where workers are valued and rewarded for their work. As a result, thriving workers have a greater opportunity to participate and lead in building healthy communities. We provide a strong voice through collective bargaining, labour relations, and political action to ensure frontline workers are heard and respected when decisions about healthcare are being made.

: The Union Organizer is responsible for recruiting, organizing, and empowering non-union workers and current SEIU membership within the jurisdictions of SEIU Healthcare as well as the broader International Union and its Locals. Organizers are part of the Member Service Team with responsibility to develop internal organizing strategies and advance the strategic plan of the organization to build a strong union through an engaged and active membership.

They are responsible for developing and executing multiple organizing campaign strategies which endeavor to identify and develop workplace leaders who can successfully form and certify a union in their workplace and build strong unit cohesion. In addition to developing and executing their own campaign strategies. Organizers participate in a variety of campaign setting as assigned, both internally and externally. In the role you will be assigned to lead in one or more of the following areas of responsibility: Internal Organizing; External Organizing and/or Strategic Campaigns; Political Organizing; Community Organizing

The position holder will report to the Director of Organizing. This position is full-time and is based at our Head Office in Richmond Hill, Ontario.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES :

• Participate in all aspects of organizing including conducting house calls, phone calls, leafleting, securing list work, mapping and charting campaign information, working with inside committees as well as building and managing lists.
• Develops and executes internal and external organizing strategies for their assignment that advances the strategic plan of the organization to build a strong union through an active and engaged membership;
• Works to continually recruit and mentor workers and member leaders to foster consistent worksite communication and member leaderships structures;
• Leads workers and members in the development and implementation of workplace actions to solve issues, win collective bargaining agreements, and build a strong union at each worksite;
• Supports other departments and programs in the organization to ensure member participation in union campaigns and initiatives;
• Provides support to members, resolves issues, and refers them to appropriate internal or external support structures where required;
• Builds and maintains productive employer relationships within their assignment wherever possible;
• Conduct individual/group meetings with workers to discuss and plan organizing campaigns.
• Build strong functional relationships with workers based on their specific job and the challenges the face and act as a resources for explaining the organizing process, their rights and support workers in forming their union.
• Develop and execute get out the vote (GOTV) organizing campaign strategies as assigned.
• Maintain a thorough understanding of provincial labour laws as they affect union organizing.
• Motivate individual workers and groups of workers to take action.
• Other related duties as assigned.

EDUCATION : At SEIU Healthcare, we understand that the best people do not always have the same access and opportunities to education, and while post-secondary education is always preferred, we want to make sure nothing stands in the way of finding the right person.

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE

• A minimum of 3 years’ experience participating in successful organizing campaigns as a community, field, or labor organizer
• Experience with political campaign with an emphasis on issue mobilization in the field.
• Experience with community/culture-based organizing
• Experience working with a labor union, progressive non-profit, community organization, advocacy group or political campaign
• Experience as a SEIU Healthcare member is highly desirable.

SKILLS & COMPETENCIES REQUIRED :

• Excellent verbal and written communications skills.
• Working knowledge of the sections of the Ontario Labour Relations Act related to establishment of bargaining rights by certification, termination of bargaining rights, unfair labour practices and all related processes established by the Ontario Labour Relations Board on their Rules of Procedure.
• Awareness and an understanding of the political landscape of the jurisdiction of SEIU Healthcar