Outreach Worker for Farmworker Program -- Woodburn, Oregon

Legal Aid Services of Oregon (LASO) seeks a bilingual (Spanish/English) person to conduct outreach to agricultural workers through the Cannabis Worker Resilience Partnership. The Partnership is a holistic, multi-agency collaboration to support workers in the illegal cannabis industry facing wage theft, labor trafficking, dangerous work conditions and retaliation. The Partnership includes community-based organizations providing humanitarian assistance, legal services programs engaging in outreach, community education and legal representation and mental health organizations providing support and referrals. The position is funded through the end of 2025. The position will be based in the Woodburn office and is eligible for a partial remote work option.

Background
LASO is a non-profit organization that represents low-income clients in civil cases. LASO’s eight regional offices serve the general low-income population throughout the state and two specialized statewide programs provide services to farmworkers and representation on Native American issues. LASO is an effective, high-quality legal services program that is committed to advocacy strategies having the broadest possible impact on client community problems.  LASO is actively working to build an inclusive organizational culture that centers on racial equity.  LASO is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a welcoming and culturally responsive environment for our staff and clients.

The Farmworker Program consists of eight staff, including attorneys and paralegal/outreach workers. The majority of our clients speak Spanish or one of the Mesoamerican indigenous languages such as Mixteco, Triqui or Zapoteco.  We emphasize areas of the law that community members tell us are most important to them and where representation and advocacy can achieve long term change. We work together with our clients to overcome the challenges they face including systemic racism, unpaid wages, poor working conditions, unsafe housing, and other forms of discrimination and retaliation for the exercise of their legal rights. We use strategies including community education, legal representation, and systemic advocacy.

Responsibilities
The outreach worker will work to interview clients about their legal questions and concerns; give educational presentations to groups of agricultural workers in Spanish; build partnerships with other agencies and community organizations; develop and implement outreach strategies including Spanish language media; produce informational flyers and PowerPoints in Spanish; visit farmworkers at migrant labor camps and other community settings; support legal representation and advocacy work; and complete other support tasks as needed. This position will require the ability to work well with many different external partners. The Partnership in particular will involve working with the Farmworker Program of the Oregon Law Center, Northwest Workers’ Justice Project, UNETE, Centro de Servicios para Campesinos and Raices de Bienstar.

Requirements
We seek applicants who have:

• a demonstrated commitment to helping low-income communities;
• an ability to build trust with agricultural worker communities;
• lived or other meaningful experience with people living in poverty, persons of color, immigrant, indigenous or agricultural worker communities;
• excellent interpersonal communication skills, including willingness to give public presentations after training;
• a high degree of initiative and willingness to work both independently and collaboratively;
• strong organizational and prioritization skills and the ability to adapt and respond quickly to changing dynamics;
• ability to speak, read and write Spanish;
• willingness to flex their work schedule to work some evenings and weekends and travel overnight as needed;
• a valid Oregon driver’s license and access to a vehicle to travel.

Training or experience in the legal field is not required. Training will be provided.

Salary/Benefits
Compensation is based on a 35-hour work week on a scale of $41,000 – 65,000 depending on experience. Additional compensation for bilingual ability. Full benefits package including individual and family health, vision and dental insurance coverage; 6% employer retirement contribution; generous paid holidays, vacation and sick leave; and paid moving expenses.  

Applications
Send resume and cover letter describing your interest and relevant experience at: farmworkerjobs@lasoregon.org

Closing date
Open until filled. Review of applications will begin immediately.  Applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible, and no later than September 30, 2022.

We celebrate diversity
LASO is committed to being an organization that reflects the communities we serve and is diverse in race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, ancestry, national origin, or sensory, mental and physical abilities, work background, experience and education. We believe that the outcome of such diversity is our greatest strength and a matter of basic human fairness. It is to this end that we strongly encourage applications from people of color and people from any other underrepresented and historically marginalized group to apply for this position.  

https:lasoregon.org/employment