Elected branch roles

The aim of these elected roles is for role holders to empower and encourage members to organise and to bring members into union activity. Everyone elected to a role is a member of the branch organising committee.

All role holders supported to develop their organising skills and work to build the power of the branch. This support will include a mix of conversations with other members, with staff, and training.

Members who take on a role are asked to commit around 2 hours a week most weeks in addition to branch meetings. It’s okay to take a break or to step back from roles, but do let your fellow members know what you need.

Branches should try to make sure that they have filled the “core roles” before filling the “optional roles”. Branches can also create their own additional roles.

Core roles

2 x Coordinating group representatives

• Represents the branch’s issues, ideas and strategic thinking and puts forward proposals from the branch at the union’s Coordinating Group.
• To join the coordinating group, a member must have been an active member for at least 3 months
• See full role description here.

2x Branch secretary

• Responsible for making sure the organising committee and branch meets in a regular monthly slot and attending those meetings.
• Makes sure the branch has a clear strategy and is implementing it.
• Sends out meeting calls for agenda items and proposals, announcements/newsletter and branch updates.

4x Local Organiser

• A local organiser builds the power of the branch by doing things like door knocking, street stalls, being involved in campaigns or disputes, running phone banking sessions and having one-to-ones and holding relationships with other members.
• Local Organisers are responsible for getting other members involved in organising. Each Local Organiser will be responsible for leading a specific activity or team as decided by the organising committee.
• At least one Local Organiser should be responsible for ensuring the branch does regular stalls and door knocking.
• To be a Local Organiser, a member must have been an active member for at least 3 months and be up for doing 2-3 hours of organising work most weeks over the year.

3-4 x member solidarity lead

• Coordinate of member solidarity activities (e.g. peer support spaces) including supporting members to get involved.
• Makes sure the member solidarity team holds regular meetings, if there is a team.
• Has an overview of the active cases in the team.

Optional roles

2x Outreach officer

• Carries out outreach activities like door knocking and street stalls.
• Is a member of any relevant team e.g. a Membership team.
• Might take on some responsibility for that team running well as decided with the team.

2x Membership officer

• Carries out membership activities like phone banking.
• Is a member of any relevant team e.g. a Membership team.
• Might take on some responsibility for that team running well as decided with the team.

2x Cut the Rent Actions Working Group Representative

• The Cut the Rent Actions Working Group will be organising protests and actions as part of the LRU’s Cut the Rent campaign for rent controls.
• This member shall make sure there’s good communication between the working group and the branch and help with organising actions.

2x Education leads

• Be responsible for running fully accessible and empowering education events within the branch and supporting members to run them.
• Takes part in the activities of the LRU Education and Training Unit, including by helping to run core LRU trainings.

2x Worker Solidarity Lead

• Building relationships with local trades councils and union branches. This includes organising renters rights trainings for union branches, mapping local unions, picket exchanges.
• Encouraging LRU members to share their disputes in branch meetings.
• Taking part in Worker Solidarity Working Group meetings and activities.

Organising committee member

• Attends organising committee meetings and takes on action points.

Communications officer

• Liaises with local media.
• Runs social media accounts for the branch.

Directly elected coordianting group roles

As well as two representatives of each branch, working group and caucus, there are also a number of directly elected coordinating group roles. These roles will be elected by an online vote in early June.

3x Coordianting group members

Three members of the coordinating group are directly elected by the membership. There are two vacant positions. The role of the coordinating group is to:

• Support effective coordination between branches and working groups
• Uphold the values of the union, and ensure they are being upheld by branches, working groups and members
• Oversee the implementation of decisions of all member meetings
• Develop and oversee union strategies and policies in accordance with the values, objectives and democratic decisions of the union
• Support the development of new branches
• Ensure the sound management of the union’s financial resources
• Ensure appropriate processes are in place for the management of union staff and the protection of personal information held by the union.
• Members ofthe coordianting group serve as directors of the company

Each candidate must be nominated by at least five other members of the union and is invited to submit 200 words about why they would like the role that will be published on the website of the union.

2x Coordinating group convenors
Up to two coordinating group convenors are directly elected by the membership. The convenors are members of the coordinating group a specific focus on increasing coordinating group transparency and capacity by supporting other coordinating group  members and to ensure everyone is able to participate as fully as possible, including by:

• Talking with coordinating group members to support and encourage them to participate
• addressing any access needs among CG/potential CG members (e.g. access to laptops/video equipment, childcare, adaptations). 
• Supporting coordinating group members to understand the processes of the union
• Ensuring roles are filled within CG and that CG co-opts additional members where necessary
• act as a point of contact for CG for incoming requests to CG and forwarding them on to committee leads, working groups or branches as appropriate. 
• Work closely with relevant union staff to ensure the coordinating group is running effectively

Each candidate must be nominated by their branch or working group or at least 25 other members of the union and is invited to submit 200 words about why they would like the role that will be published on the website.

2x Staffing and finance leads
Up to two staffing and finance leads are directly elected by the membership. They have the following responsibilities: 

• Coordinate any sub-committee of the coordinating group related to staffing and finance (called the staffing and finance committee, as of December 2021). 
• Play a key role in supporting staff line managers and holding them to account, although in a more light touch way than conventional line management. Specifically:
  • Each Staffing and Finance lead would have designated responsibility for a staff line manager
  • They would offer pastoral support, liaising with HR staff as appropriate 
  • They would receive monthly top-line reports from staff line managers (aspects of which may be shared with the whole CG)
  • They would lead annual evaluation/appraisal processes with the staff they have responsibility for 
  • Have regular one to ones with their designated staff, at mutually agreeable intervals (this could be anything from monthly to quarterly).

Each candidate must be nominated by their branch or working group or at least 25 other members of the union and is invited to submit 200 words about why they would like the role that will be published on the website.

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