Bilingual (English/Spanish) Organizer : District of Columbia

ROC
Restaurant Opportunities Center United

Bilingual (English/Spanish) Organizer

Based in Washington, DC

ABOUT ROC-UNITED
Founded initially after September 11th, 2001, Restaurant Opportunities Center (ROC) has grown into a national organization with 130,000 restaurant workers, employers and consumers nationwide. Over the last fifteen years, we have won more than a dozen workplace justice campaigns, winning more than $10 million in misappropriated tips and wages and discrimination payments for low-wage workers, and significant policy changes in high-profile fine dining restaurant companies affecting thousands of workers. We have partnered with more than 700 responsible restaurant owners to promote the ‘high road’ to profitability and trained more than 5,000 restaurant workers to advance to livable wage jobs within the industry. We have also published more than 50 ground-breaking reports on the restaurant industry, obtaining significant media coverage, played an instrumental role in winning a statewide minimum wage increase for tipped workers, and initiated other policy campaigns at the local, state, and federal level. We have organized restaurant workers to open COLORS restaurants and training facilities in New York and Detroit.

We have local affiliates in New York, New Orleans, Michigan, Illinois, Pennsylvania, California, Washington, DC, Seattle, Minnesota, and Massachusetts. In each region, we conduct workplace justice campaigns, partner with ‘high road’ restaurants to conduct advanced restaurant workforce development programs and collaborate with local academics and other allies to produce comprehensive participatory research and policy initiatives. Nationally, we organize convenings of restaurant workers, Congressional briefings, public fora, and more. In these ways, ROC continues to build power and voice for low-wage restaurant workers at the local, state, and federal levels.

ROC United is hiring a Bilingual (English/Spanish) Organizer to help our restaurant worker recruitment efforts in Washington, DC. The ultimate goal of the DC staff is to build a base of employers, restaurant workers, and consumers poised to win campaigns to improve wages and working conditions in the restaurant industry.

ABOUT ROC-DC
The Restaurant Opportunities Center of DC (ROC-DC) is an affiliate worker center of ROC United that was founded in September, 2009, and is dedicated to raising labor standards and working conditions across the restaurant industry in Washington, DC.

POSITION DESCRIPTION
We are looking for a dedicated individual who will organize workers to build power and achieve a more just and dignified DC restaurant industry. Under this individual’s mentorship, workers will learn how to organize their coworkers, draft petitions, and run actions. To win the One Fair Wage (OFW) campaign to eliminate the sub-minimum wage for tipped workers, the organizer will also be expected to build partnerships with a variety of unions and community organizations.

The ROC-DC Organizer will strengthen ROC’s organizing capacity and will focus on: (1) the recruitment and retention of worker leaders, (2) assisting in OFW campaign needs, (3) adding Spanish-language capacity, (4) supporting the successful expansion of the CHOW hospitality job training and placement program and (5) building and maintaining relationships with high-road employers.

RESPONSIBILITIES
The ROC-DC Organizer will:

• Grow and develop ROC-DC’s worker membership and leadership significantly to advance DC’s OFW campaigns and local workplace justice campaigns. The organizer will be expected to:
  • Conduct weekly outreach to restaurant workers;
  • Engage in organizing strategies and campaigns as needed;
  • Build relationships with members and conduct one-on-one meetings;
  • Ensure that all materials are translated to Spanish;
  • Train member leaders to become advocates and spokespeople for OFW; and
  • Support members to move up the ladder of engagement into active leaders.
• Provide OFW Campaign support:
  • Help develop and implement campaign strategy to move decision makers to support One Fair Wage;
  • Support DC leadership in implementing turnout and recruitment plans for events;
  • Participate in research activities as needed;
  • Support DC leadership team with house visits, general recruitment, turnout calls, power analysis; and
  • Develops strategic tactics to move campaigns forward, and garner earned media etc.
• Support the development and expansion of the CHOW hospitality job training program:
  • Hire and contract qualified and experienced instructors;
  • Secure restaurant locations to run the training program;
  • Support administrative functions to ensure the smooth operation of the job training program;
  • Recruit and train at least 100 CHOW graduates annually;
  • Maintain key relationships with community organizations to advance and facilitate the operation of our job training program; and
  • Update and develop the CHOW curriculum as needed, and prepare and deliver
  • class materials as needed.
• Recruit employer members and build their leadership through RAISE, ROC’s national restaurant association:
  • Build and maintain relationships with restaurant owner partners;
  • Organize quarterly RAISE meeting for employers to share best practices and participate in industry advocacy; and
  • Train employers on labor laws and how to ensure compliance.

REQUIREMENTS

• Fluent in Spanish and English;
• Deep commitment to racial, social, and economic justice and a willingness to work collaboratively with persons of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, socioeconomic status, ages, and sexual orientations;
• Minimum of 3 years of community organizing and base building experience;
• Strong written, verbal and listening skills;
• Ability to work well under pressure;
• Willingness to travel and work flexible hours;
• Commitment to building progressive political power;
• Ability to work independently and self-motivated; and
• Basic computer skills (word processing, spreadsheet & database, electronic communication, social media tools such as Twitter and Facebook).

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Restaurant management and work experience;
• Have a valid driver’s license and access to an operating car with insurance;
• Experience with digital organizing and moving people from online to offline action;
• Knowledge of District politics, layout, and history;
• Experience building relationships with a diverse set of people;
• A history of inspiring and motivating leaders and activists and your coworkers;
• Communicating both orally and in written form;
• Taking responsibility for your work and will creatively surmount obstacles; and
• Commitment to mentoring people to be agents of their own liberation.

Working Conditions:
Organizers are required to work long and irregular hours including work on weekends and on holidays as necessary. The work of an organizer necessitates flexibility as demands and priorities for a particular campaign or the overall organization shift. It is expected that organizers be available during the times that workers in their assigned area are available at their work site, home, or other locale. Occasional travel may be required.

Evaluation:
There will be an evaluation after three months, and an annual review.

HOW TO APPLY
Please send cover letter and résumé detailing your qualifications to ROC-HR@rocunited.org.
Please write “Bilingual Organizer-DC” in the subject line of your email.

Women, people of color, people with disabilities / disabled people, Trans* & Gender Queer/Gender Variant people, LGBTIQ, formerly incarcerated people and immigrants are strongly encouraged to apply.

BENEFITS
Generous benefits, including health and dental coverage, paid vacation, personal days, and holidays.

LEVEL OF LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY
Must be fluent in English & Spanish

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