IWW WISE-RA Extra 2024 Regional Officer Elections – Schedule, Guidelines & Role Descriptions

Nominations will soon be open for the 2024 IWW WISE-RA Extra Officer Elections, scheduled to open from the 6th of October 2024 until the 20th of October 2024, followed by voting from 22nd of October 2024 till the 22nd of November 2024.

Hopefully many of you will step up to support our union. We hope that those of you elected to these important roles will come into these posts with a willingness to look at what we can do better; those that come after you will benefit from the work you put in now to make our union’s democracy more accessible and sustainable.

Fellow Workers, your Union needs you! Let’s all step up and help the work along!

Contents

NOMINATIONS & ELECTIONS SCHEDULE

  • Opening of nominations on 6 October 2024. Candidates to self-register and submit candidate statements via IWW WISE-RA nominations & elections website.
  • Q&A Meeting about posts: Date To be Announced.
  • Close of nominations on 20th October 2024 at 23:59 PM,
  • Voting opens 22nd October 2024.
  • 22nd November 2024 voting closes. Results announced and newly elected officer on-boarded as soon as possible after.
  • New Officers meeting, Date To be Announced.

WISE-RA REGIONAL OFFICER ROLE DESCRIPTIONS

Notes

  • We’re advertising a 2-year Membership Co-Officer position for this election, to assist the current Membership Officer, who was elected in 2023 and whose term ends in March 2025.
  • We’re advertising two 2-year positions for 3 Data Protection Committee Members who will participate along with a Data Protection Officer and a number of other Regional Officers in a Data Protection Committee.
  • All other officer positions advertised are solo positions with 2-year terms, but candidates have the option to agree that the two candidates with the most votes will take on the role together as co-officers (both for 2-year tenures).

If there are multiple candidates for a position, the election committee will ask the candidates if they agree to run for a co-officership. If all candidates agree, then voters will be asked to indicate their two preferred candidates during the election, and the position will be held as a co-officership by the two candidates with the highest vote count. If any candidate rejects the option of a co-officership, then only one candidate will be elected to the post.

  • Members can only self-nominate as a candidate and cannot nominate another member as a candidate.
  • Each member can only stand for a single position.

Candidate statements guidelines

Candidate statements should not exceed 300 words. Statements should include:

  • The candidate’s name as registered with the IWW, and what position they are standing for, at the beginning of the statement.
  • Any relevant background information about themself, including relevant background and personal history as an IWW member.
  • Information about their skills and experience as relevant to the role, and any other relevant/qualifying criteria they meet, namely, whether they meet any of the skills or criteria listed in the ‘suggested skills’ section for each position in the Role Descriptions document.
  • An outline of what they plan to do in the role / any specific program they propose to implement, and why they think members should elect them.

Membership Co-officer

This is a shared role with the current Membership Officer

Suggested Skills

  • Preferable to have prior knowledge of CiviCRM & databases or have been a Branch Membership Officer or in a work capacity have familiarity with databases.
  • Be able to allocate several hours of your time on several occasions every week to carry out tasks or attend WISE-RA meetings.
  • Prepare a Quarterly Report for the DEC & WISE-RA Depts as agreed by DEC resolution.

What the role entails

  • Working in a Membership team with existing Membership Co-Officer, and with the Membership Admin who has specific tasks to carry out & the Comms and Tech Depts involved in maintaining & developing the database of members.
  • On occasion liaise with the Data Protection Officer should relevant requests arise.
  • Answer & resolve questions from members, usually by email, regarding the joining process, adjusting their dues.
  • Refer to appropriate Officers, Branches & Departments issues raised by members which are more appropriately dealt with them eg workplace representation, organising drives.
  • Attend & contribute to the Membership Officer quarterly meetings & Signal group. Liaise with individual Branches or Industrial Union networks, usually via Membership Officers who seek assistance to further organising
  • On occasion liaise with NARA Membership Officer and any ROC/Group in Europe, often in consultation with the International Officer, and admins for Finance & Membership.

Casework Team Coordinator

This role may be co-shared

Suggested Skills

  • Has completed the IWW Reps Training
    Experience of union casework, disciplinaries, grievance meetings, employment tribunals
    Able to help deliver trainings and assist the running of regional and branch based casework teams
  • Knowledge of GDPR and practices

What the role entails

  • Administer and keep updated the Regional Casework list and checking off on issuing reps cards to newly trained reps.
  • Develop a network of Casework Teams across the union with the aim of providing equal and high quality representation and support to all FWs.
  • To develop the structure and running of regional and local Casework Teams.
  • To assist in the creation and development of Casework Teams where the union has a branch without such. This will be done in coordination with the branches, Area Organisers and the Training Department.
  • Working with the Training Department ensure that the training being provided is up to date and of a high quality.
  • Ensure that the union has a good accessible resource of information to support reps
  • Ensure that reps are instructed in confidentiality issues and comply with data protection
  • To investigate and provide assistance to casework teams where problems exist
  • To liaise when required with the union’s nominated solicitors and the union Legal Officer. This includes being part of a 3 person check off panel with the legal officer and Secretary for case applications for legal funds.

Legal Team Coordinator

This role may be co-shared

Suggested Skills

  • Certified as a union rep
  • Knowledge or qualification in employment law. Please note that the legal officer is not expected to be the source of all internal advice but to be able to delegate requests to a wider committee of volunteers or to liaise with our nominated solicitors to provide an informed response.
  • Experience of running and developing trainings and guidance on legal issues

What the role entails

  • Responding to legal [at] iww [dot] org [dot] uk email quickly to give initial advice and help guide further research into legal matters
  • Work closely with the casework team on matters relating to representing our members
  • Initial point of contact for fw’s looking for legal advice around employment and union law
  • Organising regular meetings of the IWW legal team and coordinating volunteers to help with research and case requests for advice.
  • Working closely with union co-secretaries and casework coordinator to make judgements relating to cases requiring legal advice
  • To liaise when required with the union’s nominated solicitors and ACAS
  • Being part of a 3 person check off panel with the casework coordinator and Co-Secretary for case applications for union legal funds.

IWOC Secretary

This role may be co-shared

Suggested Skills

  • Previous experience of prisoner support organising within IWOC or another organisation.

What the role entails

  • Organising regular monthly IWOC meetings by emailing members and communicating via Signal.
  • Helping to coordinate regular communication between the committee and incarcerated members, such as sending a welcome pack and letter to new members.
  • Monitoring IWOC email account and having backup access to website and social media accounts.
  • Helping to arrange events to promote IWOC campaigns within and outside the union and to onboard new volunteers to the committee.
  • May have access to the IWOC bank card for quick payments for events and purchases agreed by the committee in meetings

IWOC Comms Officer

This role may be co-shared

Suggested Skills

  • Knowledge of different social media platforms and wordpress
  • Previous experience of prisoner support organising within IWOC or another organisation.

What the role entails

  • Helping to coordinate regular communication between the committee and incarcerated members, such as sending a welcome pack and letter to new members.
  • Sharing statements and information about campaigns to different social media platforms via official IWOC WISE-RA accounts.
  • Updating and posting to the IWOC Website which uses wordpress.

Access Facilitator

This role may be co-shared

The access facilitator will self-define as Disabled.

Suggested Skills

  • Previous experience with promoting equality and accessibility issues
  • Identifying areas that may have an impact on access requirements and recommend adjustments
  • Disability Access / Access facilitator training

What the role entails

  • The access facilitator will promote disability justice, conscious accessibility across all aspects of the union, and apply knowledge of the social model of disability where applicable.
  • The access facilitator will be a contact for anyone wishing to discuss access issues within the union or challenges in the workplace.
  • The access facilitator will work with the Equalities committee, Organising Department, DEC, Training department, to ensure that the union provides accessibility and inclusion for all members.

Data protection Officer

One position.

Suggested Skills

  • Thorough understanding of GDPR and data protection legislation and practices.
  • Have the capacity to provide prompt responses and decisions about data protection/handling requests, complaints or breaches, including regular consultations/questions from the Communications Admin (via email and Signal Chat).
  • Willing to occasionally offer time for assisting with GDPR training.
  • Familiarity with membership databases/CRMs (the IWW uses CiviCRM). Database training will be provided.
  • Experience managing data breaches and securing information stored online.

What the role entails

  • Working as part of the Data Protection Committee alongside the three Data Protection Committee Members and the union co-Secretaries, Membership co-Officers, Legal Officer, and Communications Administrator.
  • Overseeing the protection of data and compliance with data protection laws and IWW data protection policies. In order for the IWW to function as union it must securely hold personal information on its members. The IWW holds personal information on members, and occasionally non members, for the purposes of organising. The Data Protection Officer (DPO), through the Data Protection Committee, ensures this is the case and that the union is compliant with relevant legislation and engages with the Information Commissioner’s Officer as required. The DPO also monitors specific processes related to Data Protection as defined in the IWW Privacy and Data Protection Policy.
  • Most of the substantive administrative work is handled by the Communications Admin.
  • Responding to questions, requests and complaints relating to data protection and data handling.
  • Managing responses to data breaches and works/communicates with the Information Commissioner’s Officer in the course of investigations.
  • Coordinating with the Membership and Communication officers and admins. Working closely with the Communications Admin in implementing data protection/management work.
  • Overseeing the data protection related work of the Communications Admin and Membership Admin as contractors.
  • Developing and regularly reviewing Union Data Protection and Data handling policies, in close coordination with the Communications Admin, Communications Department, IT Committee, Membership Officer, Administration Department, Organising department and DEC.
  • Increasing IWW members’ and role holders’ awareness of data protection, and putting in place adequate training and guidance documentation (in coordination with the Training Committee).
  • Attending meetings of the WISE-RA Administrative Dept
  • Reporting to the Administrative Dept and DEC on data protection matters.

Data Protection Committee Member (3 Committee Members)

Three positions.

Suggested Skills

  • Good understanding of GDPR and data protection legislation and practices.
  • Have the capacity to provide prompt responses and decisions about data protection/handling requests, complaints or breaches, including regular consultations/questions from the Communications Admin (via email and Signal Chat).
  • Willing to occasionally offer time for assisting with GDPR training.
  • Familiarity with membership databases/CRMs (the IWW uses CiviCRM).
  • Experience managing data breaches and securing information stored online.

What the role entails

  • Working as part of the Data Protection Committee alongside the Data Protection Officer, union co-Secretaries, Membership co-Officers, Legal Officer, and Communications Administrator, Overseeing the protection of data and compliance with data protection laws and IWW data protection policies. In order for the IWW to function as union it must securely hold personal information on its members. The IWW holds personal information on members, and occasionally non members, for the purposes of organising. The Data Protection Committee ensures this is the case and that the union is compliant with relevant legislation and engages with the Information Commissioner’s Officer as required. The Data Protection Committee also monitors specific processes related to Data Protection as defined in the IWW Privacy and Data Protection Policy.
  • The role is concerned mainly with deliberation and decision making on data protection issues. Most of the substantive administrative work is handled by the Communications Admin.
  • Helping the committee respond to questions, requests and complaints relating to data protection and data handling.
  • Helping the committee manage responses to data breaches and communicate with the Information Commissioner’s Officer in the course of investigations.
  • Coordinating with the Membership and Communication officers and admins. Working closely with the Communications Admin in implementing data protection/management work.
  • Overseeing the data protection related work of the Communications Admin and Membership Admin as contractors.
  • Developing and regularly reviewing Union Data Protection and Data handling policies, in close coordination with the Communications Admin, Communications Department, IT Committee, Membership Officer, Administration Department, Organising department and DEC.
  • Increasing IWW members’ and role holders’ awareness of data protection, and putting in place adequate training and guidance documentation (in coordination with the Training Committee).
  • The Data Protection Committee reports to the Administrative Dept and DEC on data protection matters.

Receiving Officer

This role is shared with the Regional Co-Secretary who is also classified as a receiving officer

Suggested Skills

  • Knowledge of the IWW complaints process and rulebook
  • Previous experience overseeing complaints and transformative justice processes
  • Professional communication and able to check emails regularly

What the role entails

  • The Receiving Officer is the first point of contact for raising a formal complaint in the union.
  • The officer collects details of the complaint via an IWW complaint form which is then assessed and upheld or dismissed. The receiving officer communicates this decision to the complainant and respondent and begins the IWW complaints process.
  • The receiving officer appoints a complaint officer to handle each specific complaint.
  • The receiving officer supports the complaints officers in their role to gather evidence, select and chair a panel of fws to decide an outcome to the complaint.
  • The receiving officer monitors the progress of ongoing complaints and ensures that the unions process is followed and decides on any procedural questions that may arrise.
  • The receiving officer should regularly monitor their union email for new complaints.

Training Committee Secretary

This role may be co-shared

Suggested Skills

  • Previous experience running IWW trainings
  • Able to regularly check emails
  • Good communication skills and able to organise regular quarterly meetings and build an agenda for the meetings

What the role entails

  • Organising quarterly meetings of the IWW Training Committee
  • Monitoring and responding to emails to the training committee
  • Assisting in coordination of the committee to deliver regular regional trainings
  • May have access to the training committee bank card to assist with quick payments for training events and purchases agreed by the committee in meetings