United for Respect Education Fund

Michigan Lead Organizer 

Reports to: Organizing Director or Deputy Director of Organizing  

Supervises: N/A 

Bargaining Unit Status: In the bargaining unit 

FLSA Status: Exempt 

Location:  Hybrid position; candidate must be based in Michigan

United for Respect (UFR) and United for Respect Education Fund (UFREF) is a national organization committed to building power and centering the voices of people working for the country’s largest retail corporations. Through scaled leadership development and base-building, UFR is challenging major corporations and policymakers to create an economy and democracy that meets the needs of all working people. We utilize traditional on-the-ground organizing best practices - in-person outreach in work places and homes and public events and actions -  and leverage technology — social media, relational tools, and the digital platform, WorkIt — to bring retail workers into a shared community of support and advocacy to win big, bold corporate and public policy change.

UFR is seeking a motivated and dynamic Michigan Lead Organizer to engage, recruit and develop the leadership of Walmart and/or Amazon workers in the State to help drive national and state policy campaigns for economic and racial justice. 

Major initiatives the Michigan Lead Organizer will be responsible for include, but are not limited to: 

• Developing the leadership of retail workers in the State by empowering them to organize their co-workers and communities toward winning public policy and corporate campaigns. 
• Building strong national committees of retail workers to support national campaigns focused on raising workplace standards (i.e, living wages, fair workweek, paid family leave, earned sick time), winning equitable workplaces free of sexual harassment and racial discrimination, as well as advancing public policies to hold corporations accountable.

We encourage you to apply for this position if you are excited about worker and community empowerment and are passionate about investing time and resources into deep and scaled organizing. The ideal candidate excels at relationship-building, interpersonal communication, and leader identification and development. 

What You’ll Be Doing 

• Utilize a mix of on-the ground worker organizing and online engagement to recruit and activate retail workers in the State and nationally to support United for Respect’s policy agenda and priorities. 
• Build a base of low wage retail workers to help drive policy initiatives, actions and priorities in the State.
• Develop and build leadership committees to drive national and state corporate and public policy campaigns through an inclusive process that develops organizing and advocacy skills, generates bold actions, educates the public and moves policy makers. 
• Work with UFR staff and partners to organize actions, press events and prepare testimony for public hearings.
• Support retail workers to share their stories with each other and publicly, with press and on social media. 
• Participate in strategy development and planning to grow our state program and advance advocacy priorities.
• Utilize a data-driven organizing approach to achieve campaign goals.
• Coordinate/support a team of junior organizers in the state.
• Work in coalition with organizational partners in the state. 
• Other duties as assigned. 

What You Will Bring 

• Minimum 2-3 years of labor organizing experience, relational organizing experience strongly preferred.
• Proficiency using digital tools for organizing and base-building.
• Must have a car and a valid driver’s license, and be able to drive/travel as needed on a regular basis. 
• Experience leading a team preferred. 
• Strong listening, persuasion and facilitation skills. 
• Ability to relate to and work with diverse groups of people as well as an understanding of the daily challenges faced by low-income communities of color. 
• Ability to work independently, navigate obstacles, discern priorities, meet competing deadlines and handle multiple projects. 
• Strong willingness to learn, adapt, take feedback and implement changes in real time. 
• Strong database management skills that inform analysis of the base and strategy. 
• Ability to work varied hours including nights, weekends and holidays. 
• Ability to speak Spanish is a plus but not required. 

We’re Excited About You Because You 

• Believe in building a democratic and inclusive labor movement driven by a commitment to grassroots worker power and the leadership of working class people to define our own destiny. 
• Have a proven track record of success and are capable of leading teams/cross-departmental projects.
• Embrace technology as an enabler to help you get your job done and to collaborate in a culture that promotes passion in technology. 
• Have the ability to manage multiple projects, create and execute work plans, anticipate obstacles and identify ways to navigate challenges, and drive projects independently. 

Competitive benefits package provided for full-time employees and eligible dependents, including health, dental, vision, and prescription coverage and 401k. 

Salary range: $70,000 - $80,000 annually depending on experience. 

Location: Hybrid position but must be based in Michigan 

United for Respect is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and actively recruits people of color, women, individuals with disabilities, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community. United for Respect provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.