ABOUT ROC-UNITED

Founded initially after September 11th, 2001, the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United (ROC United) has grown into a national organization with more than 30,000 restaurant worker members in New York, the Bay Area, Los Angeles, Massachusetts, Chicago, Michigan, New Orleans, Pennsylvania, Seattle, and Washington, DC. Our mission is to improve wages and working conditions for the nation’s restaurant workforce. Throughout the country, ROC is organizing restaurant workers, employers, and consumers to win ‘One Fair Wage’ legislation and ballot measures that will raise wages for restaurant workers and end wage discrimination for tipped workers, who are largely women and disproportionately people of color.

ABOUT ROC-NY & ONE FAIR WAGE

The Restaurant Opportunities Center of NY (ROC-NY) is the flagship ROC affiliate, dedicated to raising labor standards and working conditions across the restaurant industry. Formed by restaurant workers who worked on the 107th Floor of the World Trade Center and survived the 9/11 tragedy, ROC NY has been training and organizing restaurant workers, employers and consumers for 17 years. ROC NY is currently working on a historic One Fair Wage (OFW) campaign, which would phase out the subminimum wage so that tipped workers receive higher wages and higher tips.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

We are looking for a dedicated leader who will spearhead ROC–NY’s worker organizing efforts.

The Lead Organizer will oversee a team of organizers who will help implement a new and evolving model in which connections made with workers online and through street outreach transform to real-world relationships and actions. Under this individual’s mentorship, restaurant workers will learn how to organize and mobilize their co-workers. To be successful, the Lead Organizer will also build relationships with a variety of employers, consumers, and other allies in the region.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Under the supervision of ROC NY Co-Directors, the Lead Organizer will:

● Significantly grow and develop ROC-NY’s worker membership and leadership

○ Conduct daily outreach to restaurant workers, and engage worker leaders in doing the same;

○ Lead workplace justice campaigns;

○ Facilitate trainings, workshops and meetings;

○ Building relationships with members and conduct one-on-ones;

○ Train member leaders in political analysis, organizing skills and on becoming

advocates and media spokespeople for OFW and other ROC campaigns;

○ Developing ]members to move up the ladder of engagement into active leaders;

and

○ Establish and grow a worker committee to lead workers’ rights campaigns.

● Help develop and implement campaign strategy to move decision makers to support One Fair Wage

○ Run the field operation and provide strategic organizing input to overall campaign strategy and the legislative campaign manager;

○ Develop & implement turnout plans for major campaign events

○ Supervise a team of organizers and worker leaders in their work related to the One Fair Wage campaign, including outreach, public speaking and event planning

○ Coordinate with ROC’s management team, worker and employer members of ROC–NY, and local allies to advance and support ROC’s national One Fair Wage policy efforts.

○ Strategically identify and engage local community allies and represent ROC in coalition spaces

REQUIREMENTS

● 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, gender presentations, and sexual orientations

● Minimum of 5 years of labor/community organizing and base building experience

● At least 1 year of supervisory experience

● Experience identifying and developing leaders

● 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: Self-motivated

● Basic computer skills (word processing, spreadsheet & database, electronic communication, social media tools such as Twitter and Facebook)

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

● Ability to Inspire and motivate activists and coworkers

● Ability and interest in mentoring people to be agents of their own liberation.

● Restaurant work experience

● Experience with digital organizing and moving people from online to offline action; and

● Knowledge of New York politics

● Fluency in oral Spanish, Bengali, Mandarin, and/or Cantonese is strongly preferred.

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. You may be required to travel.

Evaluation:

There will be an evaluation after the first month, after three months, and an annual review.

Benefits

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

Professional Level: None specified

Minimum Education Required: No requirement

How To Apply

Please send cover letter and resume detailing your qualifications to both Catherine@rocunited and Leslie@rocunited.org. Please write “NY LEAD ORGANIZER” 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.