Game Workers Australia Community Officer Elections Open

Game Workers Australia (GWA) is now calling for nominations for community officer roles within our organisation.

Like always, these are volunteer roles and open to anyone who wishes to devote their spare time campaigning and organising to build a better games industry here in Australia.

Nominations are open to community members only. To become a member, join now (it’s free!) and we’ll send you an invite to our secure Discord server.

How to Nominate

Nominations are taken in the #officer-elections channel on our Discord server. You must join our Discord server to participate in the nomination process.

Open Positions

The following positions are open for nomination until 11:59 PM AEDT, Saturday 29 January 2022.

Convenor

The Convenor serves as a head coordinator for GWA. Their primary duty is to hold organisers accountable to the principles and objectives of GWA. They collaborate with members to form organisational policy and ensure the organisation pursues them in whatever initiatives it undertakes.

It is a highly public-facing role and the Convenor must conduct themselves in an appropriate manner in a public capacity to not bring disrepute or undue controversy to GWA.

Duties:

  • Attending meetings with general membership, officials from other unions, and activist groups
  • Speaking to press and other groups on behalf of GWA
  • Coordinating, directing, and advising the work of organisers, volunteers, and members in accordance with the goals and values of GWA
  • Ensuring the integrity of GWA through accountability and dispute resolution processes

Desired skills:

  • Organising experience
  • Public speaking skills
  • Mediation and collaboration experience
  • Proven commitment to union values
  • Project management experience

The position of Convenor is a role that bears a significant amount of responsibility within the organisation. The role requires an individual with experience of union or activist organising experience and is not recommended for newer members.

Administrator

The Administrator serves in a straightforward document management capacity. Their primary role is to manage the organisation’s internal documentation, manage the organisation’s email, collect and write minutes from chapter meetings (national and state).

Duties:

  • Attending meetings
  • Document management
  • Managing internal communication
  • Note taking
  • Processing member applications

Desired skills:

  • Note taking
  • File management
  • Attention to detail
  • Commitment to union values

The administrator role is a good entry point for individuals who are new to union work and would like to contribute but are not confident in their capacities to perform organising work. The role allows an individual to contribute, performing work that is necessary but sporadic.

Community Organisers

A name for a catch-all position for a volunteer who wants to take on a more active role in the organisation including but not limited to organising events/meetings, community accountability work, committee participation, general member support and general duties.

Organisers can autonomously organise and assign duties amongst themselves as well as autonomously organise accountability to ensure work is completed.

Duties:

  • Autonomously developing and executing plans for campaigns
  • Identifying and activating organising opportunities
  • Speaking with non-members about the work of a union
  • Coordinating with other members of the organising team
  • Representing GWA to current and potential members in a direct capacity

Desired skills:

  • Strategic planning
  • Time management skills
  • Commitment to Union values
  • Capacity for organising conversations (preferred)

The Community Organiser role is a position with a lot of leeway for the individual capacities, interests, or projects that they would like to initiate. The work of the role is largely self-initiated if a CO would like to initiate and pursue campaigns for any tasks that need doing. It is a role suitable for all levels of experience.

International Delegate

The international delegate is an important interlocutor with our comrades in the federating branch of GWU International. They facilitate information sharing, coordination, and planning across national borders with our comrades overseas who are organising with their own unions.

Duties:

  • Attending meetings with the federating branch of the GWU International and representing Game Workers Australia
  • Liaising with international branch delegates to support local and international members
  • Planning and facilitating solidarity actions with international orgs
  • Coordinating with GWA Organisers to support international actions

Desired skills:

  • Note taking
  • Collaborative experience
  • Commitment to union values
  • Proficiency in multiple language (not a requirement)

The international delegate role is a good entry point for individuals who are new to union organising and would like to get involved to learn union activist skills. Due to the international nature of these meetings, they can often be organised at difficult times. The role also facilitates unique opportunities for networking with developers overseas.

Remember: nominations close 11:59 PM AEDT, Saturday 29 January 2022.

Marginalised Member Officers

We are also seeking open-ended expressions of interests for members who would like to participate in Marginalised Member Committees in order to organise how specific committees would like to direct the role of Marginalised Member Officers.

If you are interested, reach out to one of the mods and let us know so we can facilitate connecting everyone who is interested.

The Role of a Marginalised Member Officer (MMO)

A Marginalised Member Officer within GWA is a position dedicated to ensuring that GWA is accountable and committed in all its actions to its principles of fighting against marginalisation.

The officer acts as a point of contact within the organisation for the members of the marginalised background or identity they share. They may take on general organiser duties if they so wish but their main duty is to act on behalf of members within GWA who raise concerns within the organisation.

MMO’s may bring forth mandates to the wider GWA body relating to issues affecting the members they represent. Fighting to put these mandates into action is the responsibility of all GWA members as a matter of basic solidarity.

Mandates to address issues may be suggested by the wider GWA body, but can only be put into action with the approval and continued support by relevant MMO’s.

Each MMO is elected autonomously by members who share the marginalised background or identity of the position. The processes for electing individual MMOs are at the discretion of members who, as a collective, can set their own procedures and policies but adequate levels of documentation must be maintained to ensure transparency.

Example MMOs: Queer MMO, POC MMO, Women’s MMO, Indigenous MMO

There is no time limit on nominations for Marginalised Member Officers. GWA is always recruiting and organising around the principles of accountability and justice.