Author: RFPU

Hiring: Administrative Assistant

The Resident & Fellow Physician Union – Northwest (RFPU-NW) is an independent labor union formed by the medical resident and fellow doctors at the University of Washington affiliated hospitals (members have graduated medical school but are completing specialty training in a residency or fellowship). RFPU-NW advocates for the residents and fellows with respect to compensation, workplace environment, and benefits. RFPU-NW also is expanding its work in inter-union coalition building for solidarity not only with other unionized workers at the University of Washington, but with other unions in Washington state that share common goals. RFPU-NW has existed as an organization since the 1960s; however, has only been legally recognized as a union since 2014. We represent approximately 1,400+ doctors in training, a large percentage of all physicians in King County, serving UW Medical Center, Harborview Medical Center, VA Puget Sound Healthcare System, Seattle Children’s, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, and numerous affiliated clinics.

RFPU-NW is seeking an administrative assistant to join our organization in a part-time role, intended to average 20 hours per week, with flexible hours. There is potential in the future for this to be expanded to a full time role.

Position Description:

The administrative assistant will primarily function to support our executive board (RFPU-NW residents) as well as the Executive Director and Associate Director, two full time labor organizers employed by RFPU-NW. 

• Hourly pay is $20/hour. Additionally included: Cell Phone/Internet Stipend, fully-subsidized ORCA Transit Card, Health Insurance, Retirement with employer match, and Two Weeks of Paid Vacation. Salary and Benefits are competitive and will be commensurate with experience. We are committed to providing a living wage and a healthy work-life balance. Work hours are generally flexible, with the exception of meetings which typically take place in the evenings. There is currently no physical office. This individual will work from home unless attending a meeting. Meetings will most commonly be held at the University of Washington Medical Center, Harborview Medical Center, or in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, however currently all meetings are held over Zoom given the pandemic. While this is a “remote” position, the selected candidate will need to live in or relocate to Seattle, WA.

The administrative assistant will be trained by the Executive and Associate Directors in their duties. Ideally, the candidate will have interest and/or experience in the labor movement, and/or healthcare. If the candidate has interest, there will be opportunities to expand job duties into a variety of other work, including political advocacy, member engagement, media relations, inter-union cooperation, among other work.

It is vital that the administrative assistant believes in and supports the mission of the labor movement, as much of our work specifically requires challenging the status quo, not only within the UW organization but in local, state, and national sociopolitical contexts.

Position Responsibilities:

• Manage the schedule and calendar for the RFPU-NW board and working groups
• Manage bi-monthly membership lists and assist with membership growth
• Assist in social media engagement, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn
• Arrange financial reimbursements for members and board members
• Manage benefit programs, including the childcare fund and grant program
• General website maintenance including updating with upcoming events – Negotiations, Grievances, Publications, Benefit Programs, etc. 
• Respond to emails from members
• Arrange logistics for board meetings, including (at times) food
• Assisting with membership event coordination
• Other administrative tasks

Reporting:

This position reports to the Executive Director, Associate Director, and Executive Board. 

Required knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• 1-3 years of experience as an administrator
• Proficiency in Google suite and Slack
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, and effective interpersonal skills
• Willingness to operate in a flexible, less-structured environment – with sometimes irregular hours
  

Preferred, but not necessary:

• Understanding of the medical training field
• Experience with online organizing and social media
• Proficiency with WordPress or website maintenance 
• Prior membership in a labor union

There is no degree requirement so long as the candidate has sufficient professional experience.

The candidate will preferably be able and willing to transition to full time employment potentially within the first year after hire.

To apply: Submit a cover letter and resume via e-mail (PDF preferred) to admin@rfpu.org with a subject line, “Administrative Assistant – Application”. Please include two professional references along with their contact information including phone number and e-mail address. The application deadline is December 31, 2020. Interviews will take place on a rolling basis.

This year, RFPU-NW will be making our first-ever endorsements of candidates seeking public office in Washington state.We were impressed by the following candidates’ commitments to the labor movement and to the rights of healthcare workers; they have our sole endorsement. We have the utmost confidence that these candidates will be allies and partners with our union, healthcare workers, and the labor movement at large in Olympia.

Read below to learn more about who we endorsed and why we encourage you to vote for these candidates in November.

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We endorse Rep. Jesse Johnson for State House, 30th LD. Rep. Johnson understands the importance of a robust labor movement. Most importantly, he’s demonstrated that he’ll continue to address the issues that face healthcare workers like finding affordable housing & childcare.

We endorse Liz Berry for State House, 36th LD. Berry had been on the picket line supporting our fellow healthcare workers and we were impressed by how her policy platform prioritizes childcare solutions & gender equity. She will be a strong ally to organized Labor in the House.

We endorse Kirsten Harris-Talley for State House, 37th LD. Harris-Talley is committed to raising progressive revenue, to furthering racial justice, and to advancing stronger economic protections for healthcare workers and their families. We cannot wait to see her in office.

We endorse Sherae Lascelles for State House, 43rd LD. Many of our patients face profound barriers to care, and Lascelles works tirelessly to undo these inaccessibilities. Their lived experience and perspective is needed in the state legislature to fight for broad, systemic change.

We endorse Ingrid Anderson for State Senate, 5th LD. Herself a nurse, Ingrid Anderson has been a part of the labor movement for years. We know that she’ll continue to fight for her fellow healthcare workers, particularly as the state continues to navigate the COVID-19 crisis.

We endorse T’wina Nobles for State Senate, 28th LD. In her public service and work, Nobles has focused on education and economic empowerment for disenfranchised communities. We know she will be a strong advocate for working families all across Washington once elected.

We endorse Marko Liias for Lieutenant Governor. Sen. Liias has spent his time in office fighting for LGBTQ+ rights and expanding mass transit. He has clearly articulated who his key allies in the legislature would be as he continues to advocate for healthcare workers.

We endorse King County Prop. 1. Harborview serves not only as our region’s most critical public hospital, but also as the training facility for the future physicians of Washington. The future of healthcare in Washington depends on fully funding this critical community institution.⁣ We are all stronger when Harborview is, and we fully support the efforts of Prop 1 to make all voters aware of the great need for major investment in Harborview. ⁣

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