New England Health Care Employees Union
District 1199 SEIU

Senior Power Analyst

Based in Connecticut

 

Power Structure Analyst: Vision for this Initiative
District 1199NE seeks to leave no power on the table. Strikes and politics have been the defining levers of power in the local for nearly 50 years. With the consolidation of corporate forces over that same period, even more power must be developed for healthcare workers to win the justice they, their families, and the communities they serve deserve. In collaboration with UC Berkeley’s Labor Center, 1199NE will develop an additional source of power, the community. This position will support the creation of a bottom-up, member-centered program to harness the power of the community. The work has two foci: (1) helping members come to better understand the official, complex structures of power that embed every labor market, as well as the less visible, often hidden power structures impacting their lives; and (2) enabling members to create a successful approach to harness the many community connections they already possess and turn connections into a durable third front for justice.

We organize, research, analyze, and work hours based on the needs of our members and the campaign. You will be expected to work long and irregular hours as needed for the campaign.

This position is based in Connecticut.

Authority and Accountability
The Power Structure Analyst will report directly to the Power and Strategy Coordinator. Indirectly this position reports to the President of the union and to the University of Berkeley’s lead on the project. They will work closely with worker leaders on the 1199 Faith Committee, member organizers who work with this initiative, as well as the union’s research and political teams.

This position offers an exciting opportunity to be part of a high-impact, highly principled union with a healthy democratic tradition.

Overall Responsibilities Include:
Creating an initial power structure analysis in key labor markets throughout the state of Connecticut, then maintaining them as the union and community allies begin shifting the power structure.

Being a core member of the union’s political education team, regularly designing the best pedagogy for helping members and the workers around them understand capitalism (our political-economic system).

Conducting semi-structured interviews with faith leaders, secular community institutional players, local policy makers, and others as deemed relevant.

Details of Responsibilities Include:

• Conduct conversations with allies and other stakeholders to understand their roles and interests
• Track news coverage day-to-day and via databases like Nexis to understand issues affecting members and communities, assessing prevalence and state of public debate
• Investigate existing datasets on state’s population and living conditions to understand potential developments and current challenges facing membership
• Integrate investigations with strategic thinking around points of leverage
• Question all “facts” and assumptions, endlessly searching for verifiable, instead of subjective, assessments regarding the labor market power structure
• Find hard data to back-up all assertions
• Prepare presentations and briefings to share findings in various formats and registers for leadership and broader membership/community
• Collaborate with organizing staff and other partners in weekly meetings to share work done and to support setting strategic priorities
• Keep meticulous track of progress of analysis and of assessments

A job well done results in creating a member-based third front for power; their own community. This includes members throughout the union understanding their ties to their own community and matching it against our learnings about where key sources of informal power exist. Members come to see themselves as having a new identity: community leader.

Basic Qualifications (required at start date)

• A minimum of five years’ experience in research and policy analysis
• Established track record of conducting labor market analyses of wages and other job quality outcomes, the role of race, gender and immigration status, and firm and industry dynamics
• Strong quantitative skills and experience in using large government datasets and/or strong qualitative research skills and experience conducting mixed-method research
• Proven ability to carry out complex research and policy analyses in the area of labor and employment

Preferred Qualifications

• 1-2 years—or more—of experience in new organizing
• Solid writing and communication skills
• Experience working with academic researchers and stakeholders such as unions, worker centers, and varied constituencies
• Proven ability to work independently and as part of a team

Start Date and Nature of Position
Position will be full-time; salary will be commensurate with experience. Expected start date is as soon as we find you or you find us and can make starting the work happen!

SEIU New England is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status.

To Apply:
Please email your most recently updated résumé, a cover letter (required), two writing samples (required) and contact information for 3 references. Letters of reference are not required at this time. We will seek your permission before contacting your references. All materials will be treated as confidential.

Send cover letter and résumé to:

Katie Bordonaro, Executive Assistant to the President
77 Huyshope Avenue, Hartford CT 06106
Email: kbordonaro@seiu1199ne.org