Director of Collective Bargaining

Purpose
The role of the Director of Collective Bargaining is to directly bargain contracts in SEIU Local 73, lead a team of other bargainers, and coordinate closely with other directors, staff, and officers to develop and implement comprehensive contract campaigns that put union members in action to win in their workplaces and communities. This position reports to the Chief of Staff and is a supervisory and managerial position.

Duties and Responsibilities
Collective Bargaining and Employer Relations:

• Negotiate union contracts in the union’s priority units as a part of comprehensive contract campaigns that build member engagement in the union and the capacity of member leaders
• Recruit and develop member leaders to participate on bargaining committees and contract action teams
• Develop bargaining proposals to reflect bargaining priorities, common good initiatives, industry standards, and legal requirements
• Coordinate ratification campaigns and other unit-specific elections
• Coordinate member communications, media outreach, and the like
• Partner with ally and community organizations to advance contract demands
• Train and develop staff to perform these duties

Supervision:

• Supervise, manage, develop, and lead a team of staff in the areas of collective bargaining, comprehensive contract campaigns, labor management work, employer relations and culture change
• Supervise, train, and hold assigned staff accountable to expectations around contract negotiations and internal organizing
• Lead the team to maintain and develop curriculum and training modules for member leaders as members of contact action teams and bargaining committees

Cross-Department Coordination:

• Lead employer relations and participate in strategic planning in coordination with the rest of the leadership team;
• Close coordination with other departments within the union to establish comprehensive contract campaign, including:
• internal organizers to develop and implement strategies that inspire and put large numbers of members in an escalating series of actions and grow the union’s membership;
• union officers to tie collective bargaining campaigns to strategic priorities of the union;
• research, communications, and legal departments;
• representation specialists to address on-the-job problems;
• Assignments to political, electoral and growth mobilization as required by the organization

Other related duties as assigned and directed.

Job Qualifications and Requirements

• Five years or more significant experience in bargaining, labor-management joint work and representation/contract enforcement.
• Experience as lead negotiator for large contract campaigns and managing a bargaining committee.
• Two years or more experience in a supervisory or lead capacity.
• Strong understanding of and experience with contract campaigns.
• Experience in internal and/or external organizing.
• Experience in building elected leader, ally, and community relationships and support for union campaigns.
• Knowledge of labor law, especially as relates to collective bargaining, unfair labor practices, mediation and arbitration.
• Familiarity with the public sector and ability to analyze economic and competitive business environment, with the assistance of a researcher
• Personal commitment to the mission and goals of SEIU Local 73 is a requirement of this position.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills are requirements of this position.
• Moderate in-state travel and occasional overnight travel may be required.
• Strong personal planning and time management skills, ability to develop and carry out work plans with minimal supervision, and ability to work with people from diverse cultures and backgrounds are also necessary skills.
• Excellent independent judgment and attention to political relationships are considered key components to achieving performance standards.

Working Conditions
The position is based in the Chicago headquarters of the union.

A cell phone, drivers’ license, a car available to the manager at all times, and automobile insurance are requirements of this position. Cell phone and car allowance is provided.

Long and irregular hours frequently required.

The position includes a competitive salary based on experience and a package of benefits that includes paid holidays, vacations, fully paid health benefits including health, dental, vision and prescription drug benefits. All staff in the union are participants in a defined benefit pension plan fully paid by the employer.

TO APPLY
Interested applicants should send a cover letter, résumé and salary requirements to the Hiring Committee at: careers@seiu73.org.

Interviews will begin in early January 2020.

The Local does not pay travel or relocation costs.

With nearly 30,000 members and growing, SEIU Local 73 has a proud history of raising standards for workers and their families. The Local represents service, technical and professional workers primarily in the public sector in Illinois and Indiana who are employed in state government, local government, school districts, publicly funded social service agencies and colleges and universities.

Local 73 is committed to bettering the lives of working people through organizing workers to create a powerful voice on their job to win fair wages, meaningful benefits, a sustainable retirement and job protection.

SEIU Local 73 is affiliated with the Service Employees International Union with 2 million members in the US, Canada and Puerto Rico. Local 73 is united with those 2 million members in a shared belief in the dignity of workers and the value of their work and in a commitment to a more just and humane society.