Community organizing, Social justice

Position: Lead Community Organizer
Organization: ACORN Canada
Location: Peel Region, Ontario (Some work from home but must live in Brampton or Mississauga (or be willing to relocate to either city), as most of the day is spent working directly in the community.)

Is social justice a passion of yours?

Are you tired of just talking about change and are ready to take action?

Then we want YOU to join the ACORN organizing team!

What is ACORN?

ACORN Canada, the nationwide community union of low-to-moderate income people, is expanding our organizing in Mississauga and Brampton. Our purpose is to give low-to-moderate income people the power needed to have their voices effectively heard at the highest levels in the country.

Current Campaigns:

Affordable and livable housing, stop no-fault evictions, end financialized housing, climate justice, retrofits for renters, fair banking, internet for all, better social assistance and more.

How do we win?

Organizers do direct outreach, listen to community residents’ concerns, and connect what they want to see changed to effective mass-based action. Organizing protests, developing campaigns, coordinating communications and research, and, most important, building powerful local groups all across Peel Region!

ACORN is a multi-issue, mass based union of low-to-moderate income people. ACORN is able to be both a local-based union winning local campaigns, as well as a large-scale organization combining forces to fight national corporations and governments that are at the root of most of our problems.

We are a tenants’ union. We are a disability action union. We are a worker’s union. We are a consumer’s union. We are whatever our members are. Our members pay dues so that the organization can be sustainable and not dependent on outside funding from government and corporations. Each dues member has a vote, and only members speak for the organization. Our members get elected to our board of directors and set our policy and help determine the tactics.

Job Description:

• Building/expanding neighbourhood groups by being directly in the communities we’re organizing.
• Develop building, neighbourhood, and municipal campaigns with the current ACORN leadership and new leaders from the community that you help develop.
• Are responsible for their own projects such as organizing neighbourhood meetings, press conferences, townhalls, protests, sit-in’s and other direct actions. This includes all of the strategic planning, logistics, leadership development, media relations, communications and outreach.
• Represent the organization in the neighbourhoods, as well as with our leadership at external meetings or events (allies or targets).
• Work with our Ontario Regional Director on a day to day basis to learn the basics of ACORN’s organizing methods and techniques.
• Fundraising and asking for money is a fundamental part of ACORN staffs’ jobs. We are structured like a union: ACORN members pay membership dues. While this is not the entire job, it’s fundamental that outreach workers sign up members and can ask for dues and donations.
• 30-42 hours per week – working in afternoons and evenings between 12-9pm.

Perks of the Job:

• Salary with benefits, mileage/phone reimbursements, sick days and paid vacation.
• Paid training/travel opportunities across Canada (usually 3 times a year).
• Lot’s of opportunity for growth. Organizers are advanced quickly who do a good job.
• Making a meaningful impact in your community and across the country.
• Working with and learning from like-minded people dedicated to social change.

Qualifications and Skills

• No paid experience required.
• Must have access to a vehicle.
• Be willing to travel to Ottawa for 1-2 months of training with ACORN’s Ontario Regional Director.
• Have strong social and people skills.
• Be self driven.
• Have the ability to work both independently but also follow direction.
• Ability to listen in order to identify issues that are affecting our people.
• Must be able to handle multiple tasks in the same day – flexibility and resilience are keys to success.

APPLY WITH COVER LETTER

Please send your resume and cover letter to: ontario@acorncanada.org

Please mention you saw this at GoodWork.ca.