Senior Specialist – Organizing and Bargaining : Burma

Solidarity Center

Senior Specialist
Organizing and Bargaining

Based in Yangon, Burma

The Solidarity Center, founded in 1997 by the AFL-CIO to tackle the enormous challenges workers face in the global economy, now works with union and community group partners in more than 60 countries through a network of 26 field offices. This not-for-profit organization offers education, training, research, legal support, and organizing assistance to help build strong and effective trade unions and other workers’ organizations and more just and equitable societies. Its programs promote democratic rights and respect for workers, raise public awareness about abuses of the world’s most vulnerable workers, and, above all, help the world’s workers secure a voice in their societies and the global economy.

The Center seeks a Senior Specialist to assist the work of advancing the Center’s mission in Asia. The senior specialist reports directly to the Center’s Director for Trade Union Strengthening, and works in close partnership with AFL-CIO affiliates and labor federations, GUFs, unions and worker organizations in Asia. The Washington, D.C.-based Center has a staff of 225 and an annual budget of $30 million. The position requires residency in Yangon and frequent travel within the region. This is a 4-month contract position with the possibility of extension if funding becomes available. This position is based in Yangon, Burma.

Summary of Position: The Senior Specialist – Organizing and Bargaining will coordinate the organizing and bargaining work in the region and will manage relationships with appropriate stakeholders. S/he is responsible for coordinating and supporting organizing and bargaining programs, including multinational campaigns, with national partner-union activists, staff and leadership, with the Country Program Directors (CPDs) and regional department to which s/he is assigned and the Trade Union Strengthening department. The Senior Specialist-Organizing and Bargaining coordinates the development and implementation of Solidarity Center trade union strengthening programs, often in partnership with the AFL-CIO, US unions and the Global Union Federations (GUFs).

S/he is thoroughly conversant with all aspects of organizing and bargaining as well as regional program activities and events relevant to the political, economic, social and trade union developments in the country or region. The Senior Specialist – O&B has sound judgment and political sense that facilitate decision-making, particularly when managing relationships with stakeholders. S/he has a working knowledge of and experience in US Government regulations and procedures related to the funding and management of grants.

The Senior Specialist – O&B designs and implements organizing and bargaining programs. S/he monitors programs to measure and evaluate progress and ensure budgetary compliance. S/he informs the CPD about significant organizing and bargaining developments in the country or region through meetings, reports and other communication as required.

The Senior Specialist – O&B, within approved communications guidelines, coordinates organizing and bargaining work with the CPD, US unions, the ITUC and its regional organizations, and global union federations. The Senior Specialist – O&B coordinates with field office staff to provide logistical support for organizing and bargaining visitors from the Solidarity Center, AFL-CIO, US unions, GUFs, the donor agency and/or other organizations. S/he represents accurately and effectively the organizing and bargaining programs of the Solidarity Center and the AFL-CIO in public and private meetings with partners, and other national and international organizations, and, if required, donor organizations in coordination with the CPD. S/he will be required to travel extensively within the region. The Senior Specialist – O&B may be reassigned to another country in the region as the need for organizing and bargaining expertise shifts.

Basic Qualifications: A Senior Specialist – Organizing and Bargaining must be able to work independently and with limited supervision. S/he must have knowledge of organizing and bargaining as well as international relations and trade union, socio-economic and political developments in the U.S. and abroad. Previous trade union experience, and/or experience in the Solidarity Center. S/he must be capable of managing multiple assignments simultaneously and of making decisions that have major effects on costs and completion of projects. S/he must have, at a minimum, a bachelor’s degree in political science, international relations, labor relations or related fields and/or five years equivalent work experience. Good communications and writing skills are essential and computer literacy for word processing and simple spreadsheets is required. S/he must have good inter-personal skills. Fluency in a foreign language is a plus and may be required for some Senior Specialist – O&B positions.

Supervisor:
The Director of Trade Union Strengthening is the primary supervisor. The TUS Director is the supervisor for organizing and bargaining campaigns in local, national and multi-regional programs. Hiring is conducted by TUS Director with approval by RPD.

Specific Duties:

• Maintain relationship with sector representatives.
• Assess bargaining needs in region.
• Train local partners how to map out sector in a region and analyze it so they learn how to do this by doing.
• Serve as hub for country-specific information on organizing and bargaining.
• Serve as resource on organizing and bargaining for CPD.
• Build capacity to conduct organizing and bargaining activities.
• Contact for organizing representatives who travel to region.
• Work with local partners to build coalitions.
• Share best practices with counterparts in each region.
• Work with partners to develop strategy.
• Communicate with CPDs and copy them on correspondence related to their country.
• Serve as resource on organizing for other offices and internationally.
• Train partner-union activists, staff and leadership in trade union research, comprehensive campaigning, collective bargaining, and other trade union technical areas;
• Provide specified field programs with the technical assistance to develop and implement trade union strengthening programs, in coordination with the responsible Regional Program Directors and responsible Country Program Directors and Trade Union Strengthening Washington office;
• In coordination with the responsible Regional Program Director and responsible Country Program Director, develop in-country coalition-building contacts with local labor, and nongovernmental organizations;
• Assist SC/Washington to arrange in-country visits for organizing and bargaining related U.S. trade union visitors in coordination with the responsible Regional Program Director and responsible Country Program Director in countries with a resident Country Program Director;
• Provide guidance on trade union strengthening activities/programs to field offices, partners, AFL-CIO, and US unions;
• Facilitate partnerships between AFL-CIO and US unions with national trade union partners and/or relevant trade union organizations as related to organizing and bargaining.
• Periodically report activities to the relevant Regional Program Director and the Trade Union Strengthening Department Director
• Manage program funds, maintain and submit expense records with appropriate documentation, monitor budgets, and undertake other financial responsibilities as required, and;
• Ensure compliance with Solidarity Center and AFL-CIO policies and procedures, applicable donor and federal government regulations, and host-country law;
• Contribute to design and development of organizing and bargaining programs that respond to the strategies, goals and objectives of the donors, the AFL-CIO and the Solidarity Center’s partners in the field.
• Prepare timely, well-written reports in accordance with the deadline schedule;
• Monitor organizing and bargaining program performance and evaluate progress toward results; discuss substantive changes required with TUS Director and/or Program Officer/Regional Program Director, as appropriate;
• Manage the logistics for organizing and bargaining field trips by Solidarity Center, AFL-CIO and US union personnel as requested;
• Share information on country conditions and labor issues as appropriate;
• Travel to conduct and/or oversee program development and implementation in other countries in the region;
• In collaboration with the CPD, develop coalition-building contacts with national and international labor, and non-governmental organizations in the country or region;
• Perform other duties as assigned.

The duration of this position, as with all positions at the Solidarity Center, is contingent upon continued grant funding.

The Solidarity Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Women and minority candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Only finalist applicants will be contacted for an interview.

APPLY HERE

Closing date of application: When filled.

Let’s block ads! (Why?)

Job Posting Courtesy of UnionJobs.com