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New Chicago Teachers Union leadership announces CTU staff jobs open for union members

John Kugler - July 17, 2010

The new leadership of the 30,000-member Chicago Teachers Union announced on Friday, July 16, 2010, that it will be considering applicants for a broad range of union jobs. Deadline for applying for the jobs is July 30, 2010. Information is available on the CTU website (www.ctunet. com). The announcement did not provide any indication of the range of salary and benefits for each of the jobs listed. Job titles are given in all caps below.

The positions (along with qualifications) are below, taken from the CTU website.

Since taking office on July 1, 2010, Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis (above, speaking to the Illinois Federation of Teachers breakfast on July 9, 2010, at the AFT convention in Seattle) has organized the reorganization of the CTU offices in Chicago. On July 16, CTU announced the jobs that are open for those who want to work full- or part-time for the union. Substance photo by George N. Schmidt."The Chicago Teachers Union is currently hiring. The Chicago Teachers Union is currently seeking qualified candidates for the positions listed below. Preference will be given to CTU members. Applicants must email cover letter and resume to KarenLewis@CTULocal1.com, indicating job application in the subject line, by Friday, July 30, 2010.

STAFF COORDINATOR...

This position guarantees staff coherence and focused, consistent implementation of Chicago Teachers Union objectives among top level staff; coordinates, evaluates, and arranges training of all staff. The coordinator brings educational issues, member concerns, and CPS decisions to the attention of the officers and all Coordinators. The person in this position meets with the Executive Committee of the CTU as an ex-officio member.

The ideal candidate will:

• have experience managing a team of full-time professionals towards ambitious, measurable results;

• have an ability to manage multiple tasks and projects simultaneously;

• have previous experience working independently yet in close collaboration with colleagues to build relationships and organizational infrastructure;

• be a self-starter with demonstrated initiative and leadership;

• be a flexible, analytical problem solver;

• have at least three years of union membership;

• possess passion/desire/experience for working with union and educational issues;

• have exceptional oral/written/visual communication, organizational/planning and supervisory skills, and

• have proficiency in Microsoft Office tools.

ORGANIZING COORDINATOR

This position helps to coordinate CTU actions and two-way communication between members and union staff; evaluates and arranges training of the organizing department; implements union campaigns, develops strong relationships with parent, community, student groups, and collaborates with other unions; works closely with the Field Representative Coordinator to identify common member concerns; works with the Financial Secretary to engage the communications chain to and from area vice presidents, district supervisors, school delegates, and members.

The ideal candidate will:

• have experience organizing campaigns with multiple components and various groups of people;

• have experience managing a team of full-time professionals towards ambitious, measurable results;

• have an ability to manage multiple tasks and projects simultaneously;

• have previous experience working independently yet in close collaboration with colleagues to build relationships and organizational infrastructure;

• be a self-starter with demonstrated initiative and leadership;

• be a flexible, analytical problem solver;

• have at least three years of union membership;

• be experienced, knowledgeable and passionate about union and educational issues;

• have exceptional oral/written/visual communication, organizational/planning and interpersonal skills, and

• have proficiency in Microsoft Office tools.

FIELD STAFF COORDINATOR

This position guarantees effective member service by field staff and grievance correspondents; coordinates, evaluates, and arranges training of the field staff; directs grievance writing, makes arbitration decisions in concert with the CTU officers, organizes communication among field staff, determines class actions; works closely with the Organizing Coordinator to identify common member concerns; works with the legal team to coordinate grievances with legal action and to resolve difficult contractual issues.

The ideal candidate will:

• have excellent knowledge of the Board-Union Agreement (“Contract”), CPS policies and procedures and the Illinois School Code;

• have at least three years experience as a union delegate and/or field representative;

• have grievance writing experience;

• have an ability to manage multiple tasks and projects simultaneously;

• have previous experience working independently yet in close collaboration with colleagues to build relationships and organizational infrastructure;

• be a self-starter with demonstrated initiative and leadership;

• be a flexible, analytical problem solver;

• be experienced, knowledgeable, and passionate about union and educational issues;

• have proven oral/written/visual communication, organizational/planning and interpersonal skills, and

• have proficiency in Microsoft Office tools.

Political Activities Coordinator

This position develops CTU members’ engagement and voice in the laws and regulations that govern Chicago students’ education; monitors relevant legislation at the state, local or national level; promotes writing and implementation of necessary bills; works with the CTU Organizing Department to implement lobbying plans; leads the CTU Political Action and Legislative Committees; collaborates with staff on political education of members; represents CTU on legislative task forces and committees.

The ideal candidate will:

• be extremely knowledgeable about education issues, current laws and voting records of state representatives/senators and city aldermen;

• be experienced, knowledgeable, and passionate about promotion of CTU perspectives through legislation;

• have an ability to develop warm relations with decision-makers while remaining firmly committed to union principles;

• have experience organizing campaigns involving multiple components and groups of people;

• have an ability to manage multiple tasks and projects simultaneously;

• be a self-starter with demonstrated initiative and commitment;

• be a flexible, analytical problem solver;

• have at least three years of union membership;

• have exceptional oral/written/visual communication, organizational/planning and interpersonal skills, and

• have proficiency in Microsoft Office tools.

Member Communications Coordinator

This position guarantees timely, informative, regular communication with members about the work, initiatives and campaigns of the union as well as general educational issues; writes and edits the CTU newsletter and website, also leaflets, mailings, fact sheets, talking points and other materials; works with Legislative, Organizing, and Field Staff Coordinators to develop and execute relevant communications strategies; implements other communications projects as needed, including social media strategies.

The ideal candidate will:

• have labor union or community organizing experience and deep knowledge of labor and education policy;

• have an ability to frame issues for different audiences;

• be able to manage multiple tasks and projects simultaneously and meet established deadlines;

• have previous experience working independently yet in close collaboration with colleagues;

• be a self-starter with demonstrated initiative and commitment;

• have at least three years of union membership;

• possess passion for working with union and educational issues;

• have exceptional oral/written/visual communication, editing and proofreading skills;

• have proficiency with Microsoft Office tools, online communications and social media, Adobe Photoshop, InDesign and ability to quickly learn additional software as needed, and

• be able to work long and irregular hours, including evenings and weekends and travel when necessary.

Media Relations Coordinator

The position creates and disperses all CTU media messages in service to CTU members and their public education allies – parents, students and community members; facilitates positive relations with members of the media, including new media outlets; uses media stories and other means to educate the general public and specific audiences on public education issues; monitors, distills and disseminates local, national and international education news and research; collaborates with CTU officials to create, prepare, , promote and execute public appearances, press conferences, etc.; helps to write speeches, public statements, press releases, media backgrounders, opinion pieces, multi-media advertisements, and other promotional/informational material. The ideal candidate will:

• have labor union or community organizing experience and deep knowledge of labor and education policy;

• have an ability to frame issues for different audiences;

• thrive under pressure – manage multiple tasks and projects simultaneously and meet established deadlines;

• have previous experience working independently yet in close collaboration with colleagues, CTU partners and media;

• have at least five years media relations experience, preferably public-school based;

• possess passion for working with union and educational issues;

• have exceptional oral/written/visual communication skills, and

• be able to work long and irregular hours, including evenings, weekends and travel when necessary.

Citywide Services Specialist

This position serves citywide members and coordinates action on issues common to any group of members; investigates concerns of citywide members and directs appropriate responses; identifies potential class grievances; collects relevant information from members. The ideal candidate will:

• have excellent knowledge of the Board-Union Agreement (“Contract”), CPS policies and procedures and the Illinois School Code;

• have at least three years experience as a union delegate or field representative;

• be experienced, knowledgeable, and passionate about union and educational issues;

• be able to manage multiple tasks and projects simultaneously and meet established deadlines;

• have previous experience working independently yet in close collaboration with colleagues;

• be a self-starter with demonstrated initiative and commitment;

• possess passion for working with union and educational issues;

• have proven oral/written/visual communication, organizational/planning and interpersonal skills, and

• have proficiency in Microsoft Office tools.

Educational Issues Specialist

This Quest Center position oversees and leads all aspects of special professional development planning (i.e. Lesson Study; Virtual Learning; university and museum partnerships), as determined by member needs assessment. The ideal candidate will:

• be experienced, knowledgeable, and passionate about research and educational issues;

• have relevant experience organizing and coordinating major professional development activities and events; • have an ability to manage multiple tasks and projects simultaneously;

• have a strong ability to work as part of a team, take initiative and solve problems independently;

• have a demonstrated ability to provide oversight for detail-oriented tasks and projects;

• have exceptional oral/written/visual communication, organizational/planning and interpersonal skills;

• have proficiency in Microsoft Office, Excel, PowerPoint and an ability to quickly learn additional software as needed, and

• have an ability to generate tables, graphic reports, spreadsheets, published documents, and databases.

Organizer

The Organizer works with delegates to inform members and involve them in acting on member concerns and educational issues. The organizer will, in collaboration with school members, plan appropriate local actions to augment grievances or address non-contractual items and mobilize for union-wide events. Consideration will be given to candidates who have union delegate or other organizing experience, excellent interpersonal skills, written and verbal communication skills, proficiency with Microsoft Office and are self-motivated, creative problem-solvers, with some flexibility to work irregular hours. Parent and Community Liaison

The Liaison informs and involves parents, community members, clergy and labor organizations in union campaigns and activities; provides mechanisms for parents and community members to express concerns regarding educational issues and practices; develops two-way communication between the CTU and parent/community groups. Consideration will be given to candidates who have organizing experience, excellent interpersonal skills, have themselves been members of parent or community organizations, demonstrate excellent written and verbal communication skills, proficiency with Microsoft Office, and flexibility to work irregular hours including evenings and weekends. Candidates who are also proficient in written and oral Spanish communication are valued. Part-Time Grievance Correspondent

The Grievance Correspondent assists field representatives by answering phone calls and summarizing members’ phone requests, writing routine grievances, and corresponding with members. Consideration will be given to candidates who have excellent knowledge of the Board-Union Agreement (“Contract”), CPS policies and procedures and the Illinois School Code; excellent written and verbal communication skills; proficiency with Microsoft Office; flexibility to work irregular hours including evenings and weekends. =

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