What Is an Union Organizer and How to Become One
Table of Contents
What Is a Union Organizer?
A union organizer is an elected or appointed officer in a union that oversees the organization, operation, and recruitment of workers for a union. As a union organizer, your responsibilities include orienting new members, reaching out to workers in your union’s industry, conducting negotiations with management and owners, visiting job sites, and servicing union members to help them with their concerns and questions. You may also represent the union in legal proceedings and labor disputes.
How to Become a Union Organizer
Each union organizer job is different in its required qualifications. While a background or education in human resources can be a boon to your career, most union organizers are appointed or elected from existing membership. That means your education should match that of the given industry. However, there are programs, like The AFL-CIO’s Organizing Institute, in which non-union members go through a paid apprenticeship to foster the management skills and knowledge of applicable labor laws needed to organize successfully. These programs also help you find placement with a union, making them an excellent method for those with a passion for economic justice to enter the field.
What Makes a Good Union Organizer?
A good union organizer has a combination of industry knowledge, management skills, and a background with unions. You should become very familiar with your union’s current standing and contracts. These factors could change at any time, and a good union organizer reacts quickly. Work hard to recruit and orient new union members, and help them start new chapters when necessary. Build strong relationships with your union members. You should strive to be an advocate, not a boss. Lastly, be a great communicator and leader—help your fellow members whenever possible and work to represent them well.
