Educator/Campaigner – UWU

Date Advertised 22/02/2021

UNITED WORKERS’ UNION

The United Workers Union (UWU) is seeking an educator/campaigner to work in the Member Power Team in New South Wales. The UWU Member Power team currently provides education and campaign support to; UWU members, delegates, union safety representatives, organisers and union staff. Our training and campaign work is based on empowering members to collectively organise, and win in their workplace, industries and communities.

Candidates with experience in union or related organising and campaigning will be highly regarded as this is more than a classroom educator role.

ABOUT UNITED WORKERS’ UNION

United Workers’ Union is a powerful member-led union whose sole purpose is to build the collective power of members in workplaces, industry and communities to win change. Our principles are that change can only be won by growing union membership, developing leadership amongst our members, building active member participation in their union, collectively enforcing standards in our sectors, and leading collective action and campaigns in the workplace, industry, politically and in the community.

As a union with a proudly diverse membership, we are committed to equity and inclusion; and continuing to build a union that is truly representative of the workers we cover. We strive to ensure that every member’s voice can be heard and create opportunities for participation from members with diverse backgrounds in all activities/functions of the Union. We encourage applications from people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds and people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds.

The United Workers Union is proudly affiliated with the Australian Labor Party.

ABOUT THE ROLE

In the educator/campaigner role, you will be required to develop and deliver formal and informal education to union leaders and assist/lead targeted campaigns which seek to organise the unorganized, build activists’ structures, empower leaders to step up and lead their union and identify strategic opportunities to win change through collective worker action. The main purpose of member power team is to smash the barriers standing in the way of genuine member leadership.

The role requires work inside and outside the classroom, including being responsible for a targeted organising project, developing and implementing practical and effective campaign-based training(s), assist/lead structured post training follow-up and tracking success and lessons.

The successful applicant will be expected to work in a team in a dynamic and often hectic environment and be able to think creatively about education and break traditional models of delivery by looking for opportunities outside the classroom to organise, empower and educate.

A passion and commitment to the objectives of the trade union movement and a belief that there is no barrier to participation that cannot be challenged and no worker that cannot be organised.

We would be interested in hearing from you if you are - an organiser, OHS organiser, lead organiser, educator or community campaigner who:

Has relevant campaign experience and would like to extend use your campaign experience to educate across diverse industries and members.
Wants to lead targeted organising campaigns or projects which can track and account for organising new members, building inclusive and diverse structures and demonstrating organising success and lessons.
Has a real interest in working at multiple levels within the Union movement and with a desire to be more operationally focused and creative with how we run education and the integrate of education work into the organizing work of a union.
Is interested in using their skills and knowledge to train a broader union activist group to take action on safety and rebuild the idea of worker led safety actions.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Work at all levels of the organisation to develop, lead and implement organising and campaign plans ensuring membership growth, member leadership, action and winning industry power;
Develop formal and informal training programs which coach and mentor delegates, organisers, leads and coordinators to support UWU goals of growth, action and member leadership.
Ensure that the Union’s values of equity, diversity and inclusion are upheld and promoted and identify opportunities to break down the formal classroom barriers and consciously build a more inclusive education and campaign program
Develop and deliver a range of union courses aimed at improving the skills and knowledge of delegates, member’s organizers and other union officials, including participating in the post education/organising activities and educating through doing.
Provide education, mentoring, support and direction to lead organisers, organisers and other officials on campaigning and organizing activities.
Provide support and advice to organizers on organising projects and campaigns including; working on the ground to learn about different organising approaches; build bridges across the unions industries and share member led organising experiences and successes.

KEY SELECTION CRITERIA

The applicant must demonstrate:

A passion and drive to improve workers’ lives and achieving the goals of the Union;
Good communication, messaging and rapport building skills;
An ability to write and deliver practical and engaging education programs for a diverse range of audiences;
An ability to develop members, organisers and staff, including motivating, challenging, shifting and educating others;
An ability to plan and organise work and achieve and track outcomes.
Demonstrated experience as an organiser, campaigner or lead who has organized workers/community to step up and become involved and take collective action to win issues.
Strong facilitation and active listening skills are essential and formal education experience is desirable but not necessary.
Experience in developing and implementing organizing/campaign plans, collective bargaining and /or issue-based workplace campaigns.
An understanding of strategies to increase membership activism and promotion of union renewal and growth, as well as a commitment to working within a union to develop these areas.

To perform this job, you will also be required to have or obtain and maintain:

A valid driver’s licence; and
Right of Entry Permits

Travel will be required as this is a national role.

REMUNERATION

An attractive remuneration package will be offered to the successful applicant, which will include:

Salary commensurate with demonstrated skills and experience;
16% superannuation
6 weeks annual leave plus 25% leave loading

HOW TO APPLY

Please submit your resume, together with a cover letter addressing the selection criteria to Julie Korlevska, Deputy Director (People, Culture and Change) to jobs@unitedworkers.org.au.

CLOSING DATE

Completed applications must be received by 5pm (AEDT) Wednesday, 3 March 2021.

For further information about the role, please email hr@unitedworkers.org.au.

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