All posts by Murphy Institute

Murphy Prof. Mimi Abramovitz Recognized by NASW

The NASW Foundation has selected Murphy Institute Professor Mimi Abramovitz to become a member of the NASW Social Work Pioneers. In addition to teaching at Murphy, Dr. Abramovitz is the Bertha Capen Reynolds Professor of Social Policy, Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College and a faculty member at the CUNY Graduate Center.

Dr. Abramovitz is being honored for her “exceptional contribution to the social work profession and its ability to meet the needs of all people.”  NASW’s Newly elected Pioneers will be recognized during NASW’s 60th Anniversary Celebration on Friday evening October 23, 2015 in Washington D.C.

Congratulations, Dr. Abramovitz!

Illinois Organizer – Jobs to Move America

Jobs to Move America is a national project to make our transit dollars go the distance – to build better, cleaner public transit systems, to create and retain good manufacturing jobs, and to generate opportunities for unemployed Americans like veterans, single parents, and residents of low-income neighborhoods.

We seek a talented and motivated organizer to join the team as the Illinois Organizer of the national Jobs to Move America campaign. Jobs to Move America is a national project dedicated to ensuring that the billions of public dollars spent on public transit systems create better results for our communities. Jobs to Move America has a plan make our transit dollars go the distance — to build cleaner public transit systems, create and retain good American jobs, and generate opportunities for unemployed Americans like veterans, single parents, and residents of low-income neighborhoods.

Position Description & Responsibilities:
We seek a dedicated person to join our team as the Jobs to Move America campaign organizer in Illinois, working in partnership with the Chicago Federation of Labor. This person will engage in community organizing, coalition building, and event coordination, and will provide some research support. In working across Illinois, the person will be expected to travel regularly across the region and work intensely to advance a complex project.

With access to office space in Chicago, the Organizer will report to the Jobs to Move America national outreach director and is responsible for:

Campaign Coordination: Helping drive the development of the Illinois campaign which will involve extensive campaign visioning, planning, some research support and strategy development done in conjunction with labor, community, and environmental allies. With a strong strategic plan, the organizer will work with the national outreach director to lead the labor, environmental, community coalition to implement the plan effectively.

Coalition-Building: Building a powerful coalition with a diverse set of local partners, including labor unions, environmental organizations, community groups, elected officials, etc., and coordinating with local and national coalition partners through regular weekly, monthly and quarterly meetings; building leadership and mobilization capacity of community and labor allies, deepening city community-labor-environmental network.

Qualifications:
· A demonstrated commitment to social and economic justice and the labor movement
· A minimum of 1-2 years of community organizing
· 2 years proven lead-level organizing experience is strongly preferred
· Strong coalition building and facilitation skills across a diverse set organizations and constituents
· Ability to independently manage projects from conception to completion
· Excellent organizational, writing, communication and research skills
· Ability to multi-task, collaborate as part of a team, and work in a deadline-driven environment
· Strategic judgment, flexibility, creativity, and innovative
· Willingness to work some long hours, evenings and weekends when necessary
· Access to a reliable car

Terms of Employment: This is a full-time position with generous fully family health, retirement, vacation, and other benefits. The salary range is between $45,000 to $50,000, dependent upon experience.

Application Process: Please send applications to info<at>jobstomoveamerica<dot>org with “IL Jobs to Move America Organizer” in the subject line of the email. Applications must include a cover letter, resume, short writing sample and three references in one PDF document. Applicants who do not meet the minimum requirements will not receive a response.

LAANE is an Equal Opportunity Employer. People of color, women, and LGBTQ persons are strongly encouraged to apply.

News Roundup 8/14/15

No matter where they might fall on the political spectrum, it seems like everyone’s got something to say about the presidential candidates — and it’s only August. And in the space of it — in no small part due to the tactics of some #BlackLivesMatter activists — people are talking about racial justice. Here’s some of what’s been happening in progressive circles and beyond:

  • #BlackLivesMatter activists disrupted a Bernie Sanders rally in Seattle, setting off a progressive firestorm, question of allyship and tactics, and more. Dara Lind gives a good summary of the way it’s all shaken out over at Vox. The upshot, at least in the short-term? The Bernie Sanders campaign has released a racial justice platform.
  • Since then, Sanders has pulled ahead of Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire polls. Meanwhile, the National Nurses Union became the first trade union to endorse Sanders.
  • The one year anniversary of Mike Brown’s murder by a white police officer in Ferguson, MO came the past week, and with it, demonstrations and arrests — including the arrest of Cornel West — over a “weekend of resistance” to the ongoing assault on black lives in the United States.
  • Meanwhile, California has banned secret juries and affirmed the right to film police (via DemocracyNow!)
  • More coverage of the toll that unpredictable schedules is taking on the lives of workers, this time in the form of a NYTimes editorial by Teresa Tritch. A choice excerpt: “being on-call, even when one is not called, decreases an employee’s well-being and increases the need for “recovery,” (read: sleep and time off).” Meanwhile, Sabri Ben-Achour at Marketplace.org asks: Will last-minute work soon be history?
  • Academic freedom may soon be a memory in the state of Wisconsin, thanks to new policies pushed forward by Gov. Scott Walker and the Wisconsin State Legislature (via the Guardian).
  • 4000 workers have gone on an indefinite strike at a GM plant in Brazil in the face of ongoing layoffs (via LaborNotes)
  • Verizon contract negotiations continue, with Verizon East contract workers rallying up and down the coast. Meanwhile, AT&T faces a possible strike thanks to the expiration of a contract covering 23,000 of its union workers.
  • Ever wonder how Amazon continues to offer those low prices, that quick delivery, that effortless consumer experience? David Golumbia wrote a piece (The Amazonization of Everything) for Jacobin explaining who pays and how.
  • In NYC yesterday, protesters demonstrated outside of the offices of Paulson & Co in response to Puerto Rico’s fiscal problems and those who appear to be profiting off of them.

Housing and Economic Justice Organizer (Carroll Gardens Association, Inc.)

CGA is looking for a part time community organizer to join our anti displacement campaign and community wealth building initiative. The anti displacement campaign seeks to preserve and expand quality affordable housing in Southwest Brooklyn (Red Hook, Columbia Waterfront, and the surrounding area) by educating and organizing with residents and allies.

The community wealth building initiative works to create living wage job and asset generating opportunities for residents historically dislocated from mainstream economic development programs. Programs and organizing focus on worker cooperative development, merchant association formation, entrepreneur education, and broader community building events.

The organizer will work directly with the Community Planner to assist in resident and worker outreach, organizing info sessions and strategy meetings, and coordinate community planning workshops.

This position is 20-25 hours per week starting at $15/hour.

Responsibilities include:
Advocacy & Community Organizing:

  • Coordinate and implement door-to-door outreach to renters. Develop “Know Your Rights” materials for tenants.
  • Build tenant power through leadership development and assist in forming tenant associations.
  • Recruit child care workers to Southwest Brooklyn’s first child care worker cooperative.
  • Assist in developing a 12 week worker cooperative training for worker owners.
  • Grow the merchants association through outreach, engagement, and participation in monthly meetings.

Research & Policy:

  • Learn best practices for researching neighborhood demographic, economic, and housing trends.
  • Learn best practices for worker cooperative development, merchant association formation, and workshop and training content for entrepreneurs.
  • Develop tenant organizing and worker cooperative development presentations for broader community education.

Communications:

  • Update CGA social media accounts.
  • Write press releases, coordinate interviews with community members, and build relationships with media representatives.
  • Learn about pitching stories, press cycles and communications strategy.

Qualifications:

  • Experience in community organizing preferred.
  • Demonstrated commitment and passion for social justice and building power of low-income residents and communities of color.
  • Bi-lingual Spanish/English fluency strongly preferred.
  • Strong writing, communication, and group work skills.
  • Interest in growing a career with CGA.
  • Humility and humor.

About the Carroll Gardens Association:

The Carroll Gardens Association (CGA) is an affordable housing and economic development grassroots organization working in Southwest Brooklyn (Red Hook, Columbia Waterfront, and the surrounding area). We organize with low income residents, small businesses, and allies to advocate for equitable development, permanent affordable housing, and community wealth building policies. Our belief that local residents are the experts in the problems that face them guides our program design and direct service provision, prioritizing capacity building and leadership development. Learn more about us at www.carrollgardensassociation.com

How to apply:

If interested, please send resume and cover letter to Ben Fuller-Googins at bfgoogins@carrollgardensassociation.com with “Community Organizer– YOUR NAME” in the subject line. Your cover letter should address your passion for movement building and why you are interested in working with CGA.

Community Organizer at VOCAL-NY

VOCAL-NY is a grassroots membership organization dedicated to building the power of low-income people affected by the drug war, mass incarceration, the HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C epidemics, and homelessness to create healthy and just communities. We accomplish this through community organizing, activism, and public policy advocacy. You can learn more about our work through our website and Facebook and Twitter pages.

Building a movement of directly affected New Yorkers to demand action to end the Hepatitis C (HCV) epidemic is an increasingly important part of our work. This position is focused on engaging community members in advocacy and activism who need access to hepatitis C prevention, care, and treatment, and supporting the development of a New York State plan to end the epidemic.

Position Description

VOCAL-NY is seeking a talented individual interested in building grassroots political power as part of a dynamic team. The community organizer will primarily support leadership development, community empowerment, and civic engagement among people living with or at risk of HCV infection, as well as families, allies and healthcare providers in support of action to end the epidemic in New York State. The successful candidate will also work on VOCAL’s other campaigns related to HCV, such as our work to promote access to harm reduction services, authorize supervised injection facilities, and reform NYC and NYS drug policies.

Examples of campaign activities include:

  • Expanding access to HCV prevention services by passing legislation to fully legalize syringe possession or appropriations to increase harm reduction funding.
  • Coordinating a statewide network of people living with HCV, healthcare providers, and allies in order to undertake original research, policy analysis, and develop advocacy positions related to ending the epidemic.
  • Activism targeting pharmaceutical manufacturers for price gouging.

Job activities are varied and may include: community outreach; mobilization; leadership development; base-building; event coordination; monitoring the implementation of legislation; data collection and analysis; communications and media outreach; creating public education and advocacy materials; and administrative tasks as needed.

The position will be based at VOCAL’s office in Brooklyn, NY. The position will require frequent travel in support of VOCAL chapters in Westchester County and Albany.

Job Responsibilities:

  • Membership Recruitment & Leadership Development: Identify and develop HCV community leaders by responding to email and phone inquiries, conducting one-on-one relational meetings, nurturing an understanding of relevant policy issues, and supporting skills building among people living with HCV as spokespeople who can effectively communicate campaign messages and engage with policymakers.
  • Coalition Building and Grassroots Organizing: Promote the active involvement of healthcare and social service providers, community leaders, and civic organizations in the HCV campaign by conducting outreach and recruitment activities such as one-on-one’s and presentations to ensure understanding and support for the campaign among a diverse group of allies. Coordinate the field strategy with HCV campaign partners on an ongoing basis through calls, email and in-person meetings. Track and report on interaction and engagement with advocates and organizations.
  • Event Coordination and Mobilization: Implement a range of tactics, including hearings, press conferences, rallies, protests, lobby days, and in-district meetings. Turn out people living with HCV, healthcare providers, and allies to events through mass phone banking and relationship building. Convene, craft agenda, and facilitate regular membership meetings and smaller work group meetings.
  • Media and Communications: Identify people affected by HCV and allies for media and communications activities. Respond to media inquiries. Prep advocates speaking to the media. Draft op-eds, letters to the editor and quotes on behalf of advocates. Draft campaign materials.
  • Support Other VOCAL Campaigns: The position will also be expected to provide support for all community organizing and campaigns around the drug war, mass incarceration, HIV/AIDS, and homelessness within VOCAL-NY as needed. We have a highly collaborative office environment where staff members provide regular support for each other’s campaigns.

Requirements / Qualifications:

The ideal candidate will be an energetic, self-motivated individual who has strong inter-personal, public speaking, writing, and problem solving skills. Candidates must demonstrate interest in HCV, harm reduction, and drug policy reform and a willingness to approach these issues through a racial justice analysis. Candidates must have at least two years of experience in community organizing and/or related fields. Advocacy campaign experience, significant community organizing experience, and a valid driver’s license are pluses. Interest in working as a member of a team and in a fast-paced, dynamic environment is essential. Travel to other parts of New York State will be required approximately once per week. Basic computer skills, including ability to use the internet, email, word processing (e.g. Microsoft Word) and spreadsheets (e.g. Excel) programs are required.

How to apply

Please send a cover letter and resume to jobs@vocal-ny.org. In the subject line, please put “Community Organizer [Your Name]”. No phone calls, please.

VOCAL-NY is an equal opportunity employer. People of color, people who are formerly incarcerated, people living with HIV or HCV, women, LGBT people, and those who have been adversely affected by the criminal justice system and the war on drugs are strongly encouraged to apply.

The position will remain open until filled.

Note: Only those candidates under consideration will be contacted

Director/Coordinator, Make the Road Replication Project (Center for Popular Democracy)

Position Location: New York City (preferred)

About CPD:  The Center for Popular Democracy (CPD) promotes equity, opportunity, and a dynamic democracy in partnership with innovative base-building organizations, organizing networks and alliances, and progressive unions across the country. CPD works to build the strength and capacity of democratic organizations to envision and advance a pro-worker, pro-immigrant, racial and economic justice agenda.

About the Position:  We seek an energetic and experienced organizer to support and anchor the growth of new organizations in Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and New Jersey.  All of these projects have launched, have high quality staff in place and have growing bases of committed members.  All are sister organizations to the highly successful Make the Road New York (maketheroadny.org).

Primary Responsibilities:  This staff person will report to the Director of Organizing and Capacity Building at the Center for Popular Democracy and will:

  • Support local staff in all aspects of their day to day work, through in-person visits and regular meetings
  • Assist in training and recruitment of new staff
  • Anchor communications work with members, allies, potential supporters, press, and the broader community
  • Develop funding proposals and other funding materials and participate in fundraising to grow these new organizations
  • Manage organizational budgets and finances
  • Manage organizational databases
  • Represent these organizations at external meetings, coalition tables, and conferences
  • Ensure strong communication and relationship building between the new organizations and their sister organizations, Make the Road New York and CPD
  • Provide support to replication efforts in additional places over time

Job Requirements:  We are seeking a seasoned organizer with strong references who is interested in growing into a senior leadership position, with at least 5 years of organizing experience, experience organizing in coalition with grassroots, political and labor allies, strong English language writing skills, and experience in fundraising from individual and institutional sources.  Candidates should have:

  • A demonstrated commitment to social justice and a strong analysis of systemic oppression based on race, class, gender, immigration status, sexual orientation and gender identity
  • Drivers license and vehicle;
  • Excellent organizational skills and good attention to detail;
  • A high level of self-motivation and a proven ability to work independently as well as collaboratively;
  • Ability to work well with diverse groups and populations;
  • Dedication and ability to work flexible hours;
  • Capacity to engage community members one-on-one and run meetings and trainings in Spanish and English

Strong benefits package. Salary commensurate with experience.

How to apply:  Please send a cover letter and resume to-https://cpd.hiringthing.com/job/22891/director-coordinator-make-the-road…

CPD is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and actively recruits people of color, women, individuals with disabilities and members of the LGBTQ community.