Local Twin Cities social justice organizations, including Inquilinxs Unidxs por la Justicia (IX), Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en la Lucha (CTUL), Navigate/Unidos, and The Awood Center, as part of a collaboration with Tending the Soil (TTS) and Bargaining for the Common Good (BCG), are looking for individuals interested in a career working for social justice as a Strategic Campaigner. Selected applicants will be on the front lines of the Twin Cities’ racial justice, tenant, and worker movements’ efforts to organize impacted communities and build campaigns to engage corporate power. 

This is a full-time paid Strategic Campaigner position that is part of a program designed to identify individuals interested in developing the skills necessary to be an effective strategic campaigner in social justice movement work in the Twin Cities area. These skills will be developed and honed while working as part of teams running organizing campaigns involving workers, tenants, and community members in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. This Program will be run in coordination with local community organizations, worker centers, local unions and the Bargaining for the Common Good Network to develop long term strategic campaigning capacity for the region. 

Program Campaigners will work as part of one or multiple campaign teams with ongoing training to help develop and deepen organizing, strategic campaigning and research skills, and be directly engaged in campaigns taking on corporate power. 

TTS Strategic Campaigner duties will include:

• Conducting strategic research and analysis of key corporate, nonprofit, and institutional actors, companies, political figures and industries, among others;
• Developing and implementing strategies and tactics in consultation with campaign teams; 
• Writing letters, public records requests, memos, reports, white papers, and other documents as needed;
• Creating campaign messaging documents working with impacted leaders, organizers, communication staff, and campaign coordinators;
• Helping coordinate campaign strategies in consultation with directors and organizers; 
• Developing and maintaining comprehensive campaign planning and tracking documents; 
• Planning, developing materials for, and executing activities including delegations, rallies, meetings, protests, and direct actions as part of campaign teams;

Candidates

The TTS Strategic Campaigner Program is seeking candidates from organizational memberships, universities and community colleges, community organizations and activists. Spanish and/or Somali language skills are preferred, but not required. Some experience in academic, community and/or worker campaign organizing and/or conducting research is a definite plus, as is student, labor, community and/or immigrant rights organizing experience, but neither is required. Those most impacted by systems of oppression, including but not limited to Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC), women, women of color, immigrants and people who have spent time in the carceral system, are encouraged to apply. 

TTS Strategic Campaigner Program 

The TTS Strategic Campaigner program is a paid position which will prepare participants to work as a strategic campaigner for community organizations, labor unions and social justice groups. Program campaigners will work full time on strategic campaigns where they will receive ongoing field and classroom training, as well as mentoring from experienced lead strategic campaigners, researchers, and organizers.  

The ideal candidate is a strategic thinker who understands power dynamics and can analyze relationships. S/he/they should be able to negotiate the online world of information as well as be comfortable communicating with everyone from workers to community leaders to government officials. Flexibility is required for evening and weekend work.

Program participants will receive regular feedback and evaluation throughout the experience and be a part of a cohort of 3-5 individuals participating in the program and receiving training. Strategic campaigners will have a mentor in the field, multiple trainers, and supervising staff at local organizations working on their assigned campaign(s). The position is intended to be one year, pending evaluation during the program. Salary is $45,000/year with benefits. 

Towards the end of the process, the program will provide support in obtaining full time long-term employment in the field, including evaluating the potential for longer term employment directly with TTS-affiliated organizations, though no placement is guaranteed.  

To apply for this position, submit PDF versions of your most recent resume and a cover letter and/or inquiries to: Sara Myklebust, BCG Research Director, based at Georgetown’s Kalmanovitz Initiative for Labor and the Working Poor (KI) at sara.myklebust@georgetown.edu.

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until all positions are filled. Ideal start time is October or November 2021 and applicants are encouraged to submit materials as soon as possible. Program staff will contact you via email if you are selected for an interview.

See PDF

Tennessee Bargaining for the Common Good Coordinator

Based in Memphis or West Tennessee

 Position Summary

The Coordinator will drive the growth of Bargaining for the Common Good (BCG) work in Tennessee by enabling its incorporation into campaigns by labor unions and community-based organizations, and implementing a broad shared campaign to highlight the regressive tax system of TN, and the need for just community investments. The Coordinator will collaborate with partner organizations to plan and implement Tennessee BCG programs, with a special emphasis on Memphis and West Tennessee.

Essential Responsibilities

• Take on supporting roles in existing campaigns by BCG partners
• Participate in campaign planning and contribute options for integration of BCG analysis and methods into campaigns run by BCG partners.
• Facilitate existing resources and develop new resources to support existing campaigns.
• Coordinate the involvement of new organizations as campaigns expand their alliances.
• Build out opportunities around existing campaigns to raise awareness of and further adoption of BCG.
• Conduct training for coalition groups around running campaigns, race-class narrative, invest/divest and ‘fair-share’ framework, and other integrated BCG analysis and methods.
• Collect data on contract timeframes and other needs for current and potential BCG union partners.
• Support existing campaigns including fights over ARPA funds, the Tennessee state budget, the Memphis Moral Budget campaign, WeDecideTN statewide work, and Memphis For All base building.

Build our base

• Facilitate, plan and coordinate a campaign to highlight the regressive tax system in TN, and the need for community investment.
• Implement petitions or other core contact collection tools and host community forum events around inequality and corporate wealth.
• Resource the campaigns through development and sourcing of services such as research and communications.
• Create volunteer opportunities and convene monthly volunteer member meetings to move new contacts up a ladder of engagement.

Expand relationships and resources

• Identify and assess opportunities for new partnerships with unions, CBOs, institutions, faith communities and others who represent constituencies that are vital to BCG campaigns. Of special interest are constituencies that have strong relationships with local elected officials in Memphis and West Tennessee.
• Develop relationships with potential new partners and introduce an expanding number of organizations to BCG concepts and opportunities for involvement.
• Participate in national BCG meetings, monthly and quarterly.

Qualifications

• At least three years of experience in organizing, electoral, or political work, with increasing responsibilities.
• Experience in or concrete knowledge of campaigns and policy around collective bargaining, workplace organizing, racial justice, immigration, education, LGBTQ justice, economic justice, environmental justice
• Experience coordinating coalitions of organizations to execute high-stakes campaigns
• Demonstrated analytical and strategic planning skills
• Teamwork
• Project and time management
• Communication and interpersonal skills
• Negotiation and problem-solving skills
• Ability to adapt to the context and work under pressure
• Based in Memphis or West Tennessee preferred,

Administration and Work Environment

• This position will be housed within Memphis For All Education Fund.
• This position will report to and be supported by a small campaign steering committee composed of anchor partner representatives.
• Further work environment details are to be determined; this job requires flexibility of work environment, based on campaign needs.

Salary and Benefits

• $54,000 – $60,000
• Health Insurance

Contact
Please submit résumés to: TNBCGJob@gmail.com.

See the full posting on UnionJobs.com