Position: Co-op placement: Labour Beat reporter
Anticipated Hours: 12 hours per week, 26 weeks (mid-August to March)
Location: Ottawa, Toronto or Vancouver
The placement
In partnership with the Canadian Auto Workers union, rabble.ca is pleased to announce our
second annual Labour Beat Co-op Placement. The placement will provide the successful
candidate with unique opportunities to develop a grounding for reporting on national labour
issues. The internship will involve access to meetings, conferences, media briefings and
interviews with leaders in the labour movement, and may include shadowing rabble's
Parliament Hill reporter to committees and scrums. The internship also comes at an exciting
time in the labour movement's history, as the CAW and Communications, Energy and
Paperworkers Union of Canada (CEP) will be forming a new union called Unifor over the 2013
Labour Day weekend. The successful candidate will be expected to report on this historic
convention, taking place in Toronto.
In addition, the successful candidate will become familiar with some of the daily tasks involved
in producing a daily national news site. The successful candidate will work one-on-one with
rabble's editors, and will have opportunities to participate in the production of multi-media
storytelling. Working independently from our desks in Ottawa, Toronto or Vancouver, the
candidate will be expected to pitch news stories, take regular news writing assignments and
work with the editor to prepare articles for publication. The labour reporter will also gain
experience in research and fact-checking. Strong writing, editing and research skills are a must,
as are a demonstrated interest in the labour movement, current affairs and the ability to meet
quick deadlines and to work independently.
Responsibilities
1) Assist with copyediting and fact-checking of news articles
2) Assist with Labour Issue page, blogs and Activist Toolkit
3) Attend weekly story meetings and monthly editorial meetings
4) Contribute weekly news stories to rabble.ca
5) Research, edit labour-related stories and events listings
6) Other tasks as required
Supervision and reporting
Report to rabble.ca's editor.
Qualifications:
- Journalism degree and/or working experience in the field
- Demonstrated experience in online media and knowledge of the labour movement
- Creative problem-solving and decision-making skills for a virtual office
- Strong oral and written communication skills
- Familiarity with Internet technology
- Demonstrated capacity to work independently
- Must have computer and high-speed Internet access
To apply
Applications are accepted by email only and should be sent to jobs@rabble.ca by midnight, July
23, 2013.
Applications must include:
- A cover letter, indicating why you are interested in the Labour Co-op Placement and
how it fits into your future career aspirations
- Your resume
- Three writing samples (published or unpublished)
Remuneration
This is a paid internship placement, sponsored in partnership with the CAW.
rabble.ca is an employment equity employer.
About rabble.ca
rabble.ca is a Canadian independent media success story. Built on the efforts of progressive
journalists, writers, artists and progressives across the country, rabble launched on April 18,
2001, just before the protests against the Summit of the Americas in Quebec City.
rabble.ca is a registered not-for-profit organization. We rely on the support of individual and
organization donors and our sustaining partners.
The site gets up to 450,000 visitors monthly, and we are growing. rabble.ca features some of
the best new and emerging progressive voices in Canada. rabble.ca is 100 per cent free to
read, watch, listen, post and discuss the news of the day -- the "news for the rest of us."
rabble.ca delivers intentionally progressive journalism. The rabble.ca site aims to present a
range of opinion from people who are engaged in struggles for social justice, workers' rights,
peace, and an inclusive society. rabble.ca is committed to reflecting current events accurately
from a progressive point of view. rabble.ca's role is to report on stories and viewpoints that are
underreported, not reported, or mis-reported in mainstream media. The need for accurate,
current reporting on issues concerning the labour movement is a key example of rabble's
mandate.
About the CAW
The Canadian Auto Workers union is one of the country's largest private sector unions with
approximately 195,000 members from coast to coast to coast.
Since the CAW's founding convention in 1985, the CAW has continued to grow through
organizing and mergers with other unions into a diverse and progressive organization
representing workers throughout virtually every sector of the Canadian economy.
CAW members work in aerospace, mining, fishing, auto and specialty vehicle assembly, auto
parts, hotels, airlines, rail, education, hospitality, retail, road transportation, health care,
manufacturing, shipbuilding and other sectors of the economy.
The CAW is not only dedicated to fighting for workers' rights at the bargaining table, it's equally
committed to taking on economic, political and social issues that affect its members and their
families in the broader community.
The CAW is coming together with the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of
Canada (CEP) to form Canada's newest union, Unifor -- representing over 300,000 workers in
every major sector of the economy. The founding convention will be held in Toronto during the
2013 Labour Day weekend.
