H.E.A.T. Assistant-Union Organizing Position with New York Hotel Trades Council-NYC

[nyhtcc...@gmail.com]

H.E.A.T. ASSISTANT

The New York Hotel Trades Council, AFL-CIO, is current

ly seeking

applications for the positions of H.E.A.T. Assistant.

We have built a rank-and-file leadership structure calle

d the Hotel

Employees Action Team (H.E.A.T.) System. The purpose o

f the

H.E.A.T. System is to increase the participation of th

e membership in

the union and to greatly enhance the union's ability

to mobilize our

members for large-scale action, in order to organize no

n-union

workers, to fight for higher wages and better benefit

s, and to increase

the rights of hotel workers. 


Areas of Responsibility

H.E.A.T. Assistants work under the direction of H.E.A.T

. System

Supervisors, and spend much of their time meeting and w

orking with

the union's members in the hotels where they work. Thi

s is the best

way to learn about what our union does and the indu

stry conditions

affecting the workers we represent.

H.E.A.T. Assistants may be assigned on short- or long-ter

m bases to

special projects and areas of responsibility that include,

but are not

limited to:

Grassroots Organizing

The H.E.A.T. System consists of approximately 3000 Hot

el Employee

Action Teams into which our members have been organized.

Each

team is led by a member volunteer known as a H.E.A.T.

Captain. The

teams are organized into approximately 500 larger gro

ups, called

H.E.A.T. Networks, which are led by member volunteers k

nown as

Network Leaders.

This structure allows the Council's membership to communica

te

quickly and effectively with the union's leadership, a

nd provides an

excellent vehicle for mobilizing the membership for acti

on and

encouraging member participation in the union.

H.E.A.T. Assistants help with the recruitment, trainin

g and

supervision of the Network Leaders and H.E.A.T. Captain

s, as well as

the continued improvement of the effectiveness of the

H.E.A.T.

System.

C

ontract Enforcement

The union contract lays out the standards of fairness that

the hotel's

management is required to follow. By constantly patro

lling the hotels,

listening and talking to workers, and reporting back t

o union

leadership any grievances or possible contract violations,

H.E.A.T.

Assistants help the union fight for our members' rights o

n the job.

They also assist with organizing the membership to parti

cipate in

union actions to put pressure on management.

Member Mobilization

The union's power comes from the unity and militancy

of our

members. The union is based on this idea: "An injury

to one is an

injury to all." H.E.A.T. Assistants educate and inspire o

ur members to

stand up for themselves and each other by participating i

n actions in

solidarity with fellow members and with the labor move

ment as a

whole.

Political Action

By far the most important progressive political force in

the country,

unions are the only viable way working people exercise

significant

power in the American political system. H.E.A.T. Assista

nts aid with

organizing our members to register, to vote, and to b

ecome politically

active in order to hold politicians accountable.

Operations

Our union has over 27,000 members. To mobilize them f

or strikes,

rallies, picket lines, election campaigns and other acti

vities, H.E.A.T.

Assistants help to plan the logistical details and oversee

their

implementation.

C

ommunications

The union needs creative people to craft the message it

delivers to

workers, employers, politicians and the general public.

H.E.A.T.

Assistants help with the production of a wide range of p

ersuasive and

informative material using print, web and video.

Strategic Research

HEAT Assistants help the Strategic Research team to monito

r the

hotel industry, and support strategies to use corporate

campaigns,

political clout and other leverage to win contract fig

hts against major

corporations, and to increase the union's density (the p

ercentage of

unionization in the industry).

H.E.A.T. Assistants may also be assigned to work on inter

nal and

external organizing in Washington, DC.

Advancement

The H.E.A.T. Assistant position is the starting point

on a career track

to the most interesting and important leadership posit

ions within our

union.

H.E.A.T. Assistants are expected to learn and grow prof

essionally at

an accelerated pace. If a H.E.A.T. Assistant is successful, h

e or she

will likely be promoted to H.E.A.T. System Superviso

r within a year.

H.E.A.T. System Supervisors who distinguish themselves ca

n move

into other key positions such as Organizer, Business Agent (

Field

Representative), or Grievance Officer.

Qualifications

Required

• Demonstrated commitment to social justice;

• Ability to motivate and inspire others;

• Ability to communicate respectfully and comfortably w

ith people

from diverse backgrounds;

• Ability to multitask, work efficiently, and be well

organized;

• Willingness to work long hours, often on short (or im

mediate)

notice;

• Willingness to handle a wide range of constantly chan

ging

responsibilities;

• Thorough attention to details;

• Resourcefulness and talent for problem-solving;

• Ability to learn quickly and grow into positions of

greater

responsibility;

• Ability to handle physically and mentally demandin

g assignments;

• Integrity;

• Persistence and determination;

• Loyalty to the organization;

• Reliability;

• Good judgment;

• Cooperative attitude.

Extra consideration will be given to candidates who p

ossess any of

the following:

• Bachelor's degree;

• Bilingual (in addition to English), especially in Sp

anish, Cantonese,

Mandarin, Vietnamese, Russian, Polish or Bengali;

• Strong computer skills and the ability to quickly le

arn new computer

programs;

• Ability to write persuasively, clearly, and concisely;

• Experience developing and maintaining databases;

• Knowledge of FileMaker Pro;

• Graphic art and design skills;

• Web design and development experience;

• Knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite (especially Flash

);

• Talent for photography and/or videography;

• Knowledge of Final Cut Pro and Adobe After Effect

s;

• Experience working in the hotel, restaurant, hospita

lity, or other

service industries.

Salary and Benefits

• Annual salary will be in the range of $37,000 to $

40,000;

• Excellent benefits and retirement package.

How to apply:

In addition to a resume and references, applicants for t

his position

should include a cover letter that explains clearly and co

ncisely the

reasons for their interest in the position at the New

York Hotel Trades

Council, and specifically address a number of the above-li

sted

qualifications, both those they do and do not possess.

Send resume, references, and cover letter to: careers@n

yhtc.org

The New York Hotel Trades Council, AFL-CIO, is an equa

l

opportunity employer. All persons regardless of age, ra

ce, ethnicity,

gender, religious affiliation or sexual orientation ar

e encouraged to

apply. People of color and women are strongly urged t

o apply.