CGE ORGANIZER

UPDATE: This position has been filled. CGE is happy to bring Alex Riccio on board as our new staff organizer. He’s an OSU alumni and former CGE member, Alex can be reached at organizer@cge6069.org, on the phone at (541) 757-7141, or in person at the CGE office in Westminster House.

The Coalition of Graduate Employees (American Federation of Teachers, Local 6069) is a labor union representing graduate teaching and research assistants at Oregon State University. We are hiring a permanent full-time organizer to support the local in internal organizing, member development, contract negotiation and enforcement, research, solidarity building, and other areas of union activity. Earliest review of applications will begin April 28th. The start date is flexible but will be around June 12th.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Internal organizing via one-on-one conversations, membership drives, activist/leader recruitment, and orientations
• Developing and holding group and one-on-one trainings for members, activists, and leadership
• Designing, writing, and editing both web and print materials
• Organizing and executing meetings, events, and actions, including event logistics such as cooking, setup, and cleanup
• Representing and advocating on behalf of CGE to the employer and other relevant groups
• Research for organizing and contract bargaining/enforcement purposes
• Serving on the local’s bargaining team
• Assisting the Executive Council and other local bodies as necessary
• Maintaining an online membership database

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION:

• At least one year grassroots organizing experience
• Technical skills: email, word processing, spreadsheets, desktop publishing, social media
• High school diploma

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION:

• Ability to articulate an organizing philosophy
• Familiarity with institutions of higher education
• Union awareness and commitment to labor causes
• Experience working with graduate employees/graduate employee unions
• Experience with and/or training in collective bargaining and grievances
• Experience working with volunteer leadership
• Database experience
• Bachelor’s degree or higher

COMPETENCY QUALIFICATIONS

Ideal candidates will demonstrate the following competencies:

• Initiative and self-motivation
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Effective time management
• High integrity and trustworthiness
• Problem solving and teamwork skills
• Demonstrated ability to work sensitively and effectively with a diverse range of individuals
• Strong interpersonal skills 

PHYSICAL DEMANDS / JOB ENVIRONMENT:

• The position requires manual dexterity, auditory and visual skills, and the ability to follow written and oral instructions and procedures.
• The majority of the work is in the CGE office, with travel around campus, Corvallis, and Oregon required.

POSITION TYPE / EXPECTED HOURS OF WORK:

• This a full-time, permanent position covered under a collective bargaining agreement. Compensation is salaried depending on experience with a base salary of $50,000. Benefits include health insurance and paid vacation, holidays, and other leave.
• The normal workweek is Monday-Friday, and the normal workday is eight hours worked between 8 AM and 9 PM. Specific work hours within that range are flexible, based on the needs of CGE and its employees. Evening and weekend work are frequently required to accommodate members’ schedules.

 

Affirmative Action Statement:  CGE is an AA/EEO employer.  Women, people of color, and LGBTQ individuals are strongly encouraged to apply. CGE is committed to increasing the participation of women, people of color, and LGBTQ individuals in all aspects of the union. For that reason, CGE encourages all applicants to use the cover letter, resume, references, or an additional info sheet in a format and length of your choosing, to disclose any information (voluntarily) as it relates to:

1. Any relevant facts about the applicant’s identity as it relates to the applicant’s experience working around racial, gender, and economic justice
2. Any past experiences addressing issues of racism, sexism, homophobia, classism, etc., and how that experience empowered those people who are directly affected by institutionalized discrimination (women, people of color, LGBTQ individuals, etc.), and put those affected individuals at the forefront of organizing efforts in an empowering way
3. Your potential future role as you see it as an employee with CGE and how you would address institutional forms of racism, sexism, homophobia, etc. within the union, at OSU, and/or in the broader Corvallis community

CGE has historically organized around social justice issues and is committed to continuing that tradition and increasing those efforts.  Recent examples of issues around which we have organized include:

• Advocating for family-friendly policies including child care subsidies, expanded drop-off child care, and lower health insurance premiums for dependents
• Negotiating to include gender confirmation surgery on the graduate employee insurance plan
• Negotiating to expand access to gender inclusive restrooms
• Providing implicit bias, inclusive classroom, and bystander intervention trainings to members and activists

CGE encourages applicants to share similar organizing experiences and goals. Sharing this information is voluntary.  Applicants should share as much information as they deem relevant to the job.  Preference will be given to applicants who exhibit experience, passion, and an ongoing desire to overcome institutional and interpersonal forms of racism, sexism, homophobia, classism, ableism, etc., and who have experience working in communities of color, with women, in queer communities, in low-income communities, etc.

To apply for this position, please submit your resume and cover letter, including any responses to the questions covered under the Affirmative Action statement, via email to office@cge6069.org.  Please put the words “CGE Organizer” in the subject.