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Political Coordinator
Washington, DC
Job Description
Overview
The UFCW is a dynamic union with members in all 50 states, U.S. territories and Canada. Our members work in grocery stores, non-food retail, food processing, meat processing, distillery, and cannabis industries, as well as have footprint in state and local government, healthcare, light manufacturing, and warehouses. UFCW members face fights for workplace safety, healthcare, higher wages, fair scheduling and paid sick days/paid leave. We work aggressively to advocate for our members’ benefits at the local, state, and national levels.
The Political Coordinator, in coordination with local unions, is responsible for building electoral, legislative, fundraising, and activist programs under the direction of the Director.
The Political Coordinator also assesses candidate viability, priority races, and meets with potential candidates to ensure they understand UFCW’s issues in collaboration with local
on building out their electoral programs and legislative priorities.
This position is onsite and based in Washington, D.C.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The UFCW is a dynamic union with members in all 50 states, U.S. territories and Canada. Our members work in grocery stores, non-food retail, food processing, meat processing, distillery, and cannabis industries, as well as have footprint in state and local government, healthcare, light manufacturing, and warehouses. UFCW members face fights for workplace safety, healthcare, higher wages, fair scheduling and paid sick days/paid leave. We work aggressively to advocate for our members’ benefits at the local, state, and national levels.
The Political Coordinator, in coordination with local unions, is responsible for building electoral, legislative, fundraising, and activist programs under the direction of the Director.
The Political Coordinator also assesses candidate viability, priority races, and meets with potential candidates to ensure they understand UFCW’s issues in collaboration with local
on building out their electoral programs and legislative priorities.
This position is onsite and based in Washington, D.C.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Under the direction of the Department Director, writes thorough state electoral plans for targeted local unions and races, as well as keeps up to date on competitive races in their assigned region to provide analysis on fundraising, polling, relevant campaign issues and endorsements.
- Works closely with local unions on priorities including low-dollar fundraising, running member-to-member electoral and legislative campaigns, engaging in federal grassroots and grasstops legislative campaigns and other priorities as assigned.
- Under the direction of the Department Director, and with buy-in from target locals, build out a low-dollar fundraising program that runs year-round and is responsible for reporting and analysis on local program growth.
- Executes the International Union’s program priorities in their assigned region. Responsible for running a multifaceted program in multiple states that will include canvassing, worksite organizing, voter registration in collaboration with phone banking, and peer-to-peer texting and social media outreach. This encompasses building out a work management system in multiple states which allows for timely reporting and a field feedback loop.
- Works with rank-and-file political member organizers to run electoral programs in targeted states. Responsible for running well-organizing onboarding, regular team meetings, training and conducting one-on-one coaching to ensure political member organizers are reaching program goals. Acts in a timely manner and uses discretion when dealing with a political member organizer consistently not reaching goals or fulfilling program duties.
- Identifies local electoral opportunities and under the direction of the Department Director and in collaboration with the appropriate local(s) builds out an electoral program to meet UFCW’s programmatic goals.
- Responsible for keeping up to date on Federal campaign giving laws, as well as being a resource on state and local giving laws. Responds to fundraising requests from local unions in a time sensitive manner.
- As assigned by the Department Director, develops, updates, and maintains state and local specific training materials that cover fundraising, electoral work and legislative work and works with the local union political staff person to successfully run trainings, fundraising drives, and regular fundraising orientations for new staff representatives from local unions. Responsible for customizing training to meet audience needs – local union staff, stewards, member organizers, and rank-and-file members. Responsible for making sure that legal information in presentations is accurate such as state voter registration laws and early voting laws.
- Works with the Director and Legislative team to execute an endorsement process at the federal, state, and local levels that involves viability assessments of races and candidates, candidate interviews, candidate questionnaires and where possible member, engagement in the endorsement process.
- Develops briefing materials for International Union officers and local union presidents on political giving and what is at stake in the state.
- As assigned by the Department Director, represents the UFCW at in-state coalition tables from time to time. Manages these relationships with discretion and to not undermine local union relationships. Responds to requests from candidate campaigns in a timely manner and ensures that the UFCW endorsement process is being followed.
- Builds relationships with the local union political and legislative contacts and ensures they are up to date on any in-state developments the International Union is tracking.
- Keeps up to date on new tactics and technologies that enables the UFCW to reach members using diverse tactics such as relational organizing, peer-to-peer texting, click to call tools, social media, worksite and door to door work and other outreach tactics. Responsible for specific technical tools in the UFCW toolbox and if they are not familiar with the tools, will undergo onboarding and will have expectations of technical tool administration.
- Takes initiative in researching new tools and tactics to improve UFCW to UFCW member outreach and as directed, develops training materials.
- Keeps an up-to-date, sharable, and assessable database of local union, political and coalition contacts.
- Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change, or new ones may be assigned at any time, at the UFCW’s discretion. UFCW employees function as a team and, occasionally, and on a temporary basis, employees may be required to perform tasks usually performed by others. This might occur if a team member is absent or unavailable to complete a project and the team is responsible for the deadline. Because employees are required to work as a team, you are required to step up and fill in for a team member who is absent or needs assistance from time to time.
- Bachelor’s degree in Political Science or related field or equivalent related experience. Minimum of 3 years in grassroots organizing experience with a labor or progressive organization required. Minimum of 3-to-4 years of experience, ideally in a labor organization with fundraising and/or political organizing experience.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite and ability to use all functions in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.
- Experience using online databases like NGP-VAN for analysis, virtual phone banks canvasses and activist engagement.
- Must be comfortable resolving minor tech issues with iPhones, tablets, and laptops.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills are required.
- Must be able to work with people from different aspects of political work, Presidential candidates and staff, local union presidents and staff, as well as rank and file members.
- Must have strong written and oral skills.
- Must understand FEC laws and regulations concerning PAC and their interactions with state election and financial disclosure laws.
- Must understand Federal Campaign Finance and experience researching state and local campaign finance laws.
- Must have the ability to work independently. Must have initiative.
- Must have the ability to canvass and run a canvass.
- Demonstrated understanding of the labor movement and culture.
- Multilingual speaking ability is a plus.
- Commitment and dedication to the UFCW’s mission to fight for our members.
- Ability to work well under pressure and meet deadlines.
- Work requires long and irregular hours, including nights and weekends. Extensive travel required across the U.S. in both planes and cars. Ability to perform long-term assignments for weeks or months at a time.
Compensation: Salary commensurate with experience. Generous benefits.
Duration: Fulltime position; posting closes when position is filled.
To apply submit cover letter, resume and references to:
We believe our success rests on recruiting and retaining a diverse staff. UFCW is an equal opportunity employer. Women and people of color are encouraged to apply. Reasonable accommodation will be provided pursuant to state and federal laws.
Duration: Fulltime position; posting closes when position is filled.
To apply submit cover letter, resume and references to:
We believe our success rests on recruiting and retaining a diverse staff. UFCW is an equal opportunity employer. Women and people of color are encouraged to apply. Reasonable accommodation will be provided pursuant to state and federal laws.
Job Summary
Employment Term and Type
Regular, Full Time
Required Education
Bachelor's Degree
Required Experience
3+ years
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