UniServ Coordinator/Field Organizer

GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES

It is the primary responsibility of a UniServ Coordinator/Field Organizer to build stronger, effective local associations by increasing membership and member engagement while facilitating a culture of organizing.

The UniServ coordinates, assists, supports and advises local leadership with the implementation of the programs and activities of the local, state and national associations within the UniServ district. This specifically includes, but is not limited to, providing training, consultation, and resources with respect to:

  1. TEA/NEA programs
  2. Membership recruitment, retention and engagement programs
  3. Collective action/organizing
  4. Professional Educator Collaborative Conferencing (PECCA)
  5. Communications, professional growth, advocacy, research, legislative and political activities
  6. Building local association capacity and leadership development
  7. Governance and service structures

The UniServ Coordinator/Field Organizer also has the responsibility to:

  1. Build and maintain relationships with local association leaders, members, potential members, school district officials and appropriate community leaders
  2. Build collaborative relationships with fellow members of the TEA team

  3. Respond to local leaders’ needs and help them build the organizational capacity

    to meet other members’ needs

  4. Represent TEA in a positive manner and make its views visible to members by

    attending local association meetings, school district meetings and consistently visiting worksites

  5. Develop and support advocacy skills for local associations and members

  6. Provide for effective representation of members in all employee-employer

    relationships, including counseling with members, representation, and grievance processing

  7. Demonstrate professional courtesy and a team-building attitude when working with other TEA staff, including associate staff, professional staff, and management
  8. Professionally and positively represent the mission, goals, statements, and practices of the Tennessee Education Association
  9. Attend local, state, regional or national meetings as approved or requested by management
  10. Develop and maintain up-to-date compilation of the essential demographics of assigned local(s) i.e., membership rosters, local dues, governing documents, etc.
  11. Keep abreast of and use data and technology

12. Perform such other duties as may be assigned by management, Executive

Director, or his/her designee

The following goals and objectives are to assist in carrying out TEA’s Mission, Vision, Goals and Values in addition to the duties outlined in the UniServ Coordinator job description.

I. Organizing

A. Staff are competent, confident, assertive agents of change who are:

  1. fluent in all aspects of relevant laws and policies
  2. familiar with power structure in the UniServ District
  3. actively engaged in building community coalitions which support association goals
  4. acutely aware of racial and social justice, political and education-related events, trends, and conflicts in their districts
  5. recognized as a leader for the association in the district

B. Staff causes significant and positive change in the school district by:

  1. regularly visiting schools
  2. regularly attending school board and local association meetings
  3. building active, reliable AR networks in each local through distributive leadership principle
  4. improving salary and working conditions through the PECCA process in each local
  5. identifying issues and organizing around them on the local level
  6. using technology and data to organize members and potential members

II. Maintaining and Increasing Membership

Staff are strategic planners who:

  1. conduct officer, AR, and other trainings in all locals
  2. design local membership promotional materials, as needed
  3. distribute local, state, and national promotional materials to all locals
  4. develop a system to ensure membership materials are distributed to members
  5. secure updated personnel actions (new hire lists, retiree lists and updated employee lists) from central offices
  6. plan and conduct activities for new employees in each local
  7. meet with local officers, membership chairpersons, association representatives and member organizers in each local to plan and implement membership drives
  8. publish back-to-school edition of membership newsletters in all locals for distribution in August/September
  9. recruit at all system-wide meetings (professional development, in-service, etc.)
  10. aggressively pursue year-round membership recruitment and retention
  1. develop reporting systems in each local for weekly reports on membership
  2. plan and conduct follow-up membership campaigns for potential members
  3. assist locals with updating rosters, timely payment of dues, and submission of requested paperwork or documentation

III. Planning, Execution and Results of Training for Members

  1. Enhance effectiveness and leadership skills of members in their respective roles and responsibilities
    1. executive board/officers
    2. ARs
    3. committee chairs
    4. new leaders
  2. Build advocacy
    1. advocacy training for public presentations (school board, media training, etc.)
    2. policy development/PECCA
    3. issue organizing
    4. professional development and communications
    5. member representation
  3. Provide for effective political and legislative action
    1. election campaigns, local and state
    2. lobbying and legislative dinners
    3. coalitions
    4. promotion of TEA’s legislative agenda and initiatives
    5. assist members in local PAC organizing

IV. Representation of Members

  1. Aggressive defense of member rights
    1. be proficient in local policies and/or grievance procedures to address employee complaints
    2. counsel members (differentiate among gripe, grievance, and legal procedure)
    3. represent members in resolution of problems via informal procedures
    4. utilize programs and staff to advise and represent members
    5. assist members in an accurate and timely manner
    6. assist members in submission of paperwork for legal assistance
  2. Improvement of members’ working conditions and benefits
    1. advise locals to revise or formulate language during the PECCA process
    2. vigorously represent members’ interests at B.O.E. meetings
    3. lobby B.O.E. members

4. train local members to participate in activities 1, 2, and 3 above

V. Develop and Implement a System for Effective Internal and External Communications

  1. Internal – (members kept informed of local issues, activities, and accomplishments)
    1. regular publication of local newsletter
    2. devise a system for immediate publication and distribution of issue-oriented literature

    3. devise and maintain a system for immediate communication with membership (phone banking, Hustle, robocalls, Action Network,

      Facebook, etc.)

  2. External (public relations used as an effective tool to promote association

    programs)

    1. become familiar with local media procedures and establish rapport with appropriate media personnel
    2. keep media informed with respect to TEA and local association issues

VI. Strengthen and Maintain an Effective Political Action Program

  1. Elections (UniServ district)
    1. work with government relations to identify and recruit candidates (local elections)
    2. campaign assistance
  2. Lobbying/Local and State
    1. organize local lobbying efforts to support TEA’s legislative agenda
    2. support state lobbying efforts to advance TEA’s legislative agenda