We’re contracting a part-time assistant editor

Are you passionate about Saskatchewan politics, the labour movement, and progressive social change? We are contracting a part-time assistant editor to help us produce both the Sask Dispatch and the RWDSU Defender.

Applications are due November 8, 2021.

About the publications

The Sask Dispatch is an independent, non-profit, Saskatchewan-focused publication produced by Briarpatch Magazine since 2018. With stories printed every two months and published online, the Sask Dispatch covers under-reported issues in the province, centring issues that are important to poor folks and the working class, Indigenous communities, and other marginalized groups.

The RWDSU Defender is the newsletter of Saskatchewan’s Retail, Wholesale, Department Store Union, and is distributed to the union’s members. Since 2019, Briarpatch has been contracted by RWDSU to produce the eight-page Defender newsletter four times a year (issues are released each April, July, October, and December).

Responsibilities

The successful independent contractor would assist with the core editorial duties of the Sask Dispatch, with support from Briarpatch’s editor: this means researching and writing articles; soliciting and editing articles from freelance writers; and helping to disseminate articles via the Sask Dispatch’s website, email list, and social media. You would also occasionally assist Briarpatch’s publisher with promotions, publicity, fundraising, and other organizational tasks for the Sask Dispatch. The Sask Dispatch is a fledgling publication, and we’re very willing to adapt the role to the successful candidate’s strengths and interests.

You would also be responsible for editing the RWDSU Defender. This entails liaising with RWDSU’s secretary-treasurer, collecting updates on arbitration and bargaining from RWDSU representatives, collecting relevant news articles to republish, and working to lay out text and images in an Adobe InDesign template.

Hours, pay, and location

Reporting to Briarpatch’s Editor and Publisher, this position is a six-month contract, with the opportunity for the right candidate to take over as full editor at the end of the contract. The assistant editor will work to solicit, edit, and publish up to six articles a month in print and online for the Sask Dispatch. In April, July, October, and December the successful candidate will work on producing the RWDSU Defender.

The total value of the contract is $5,897.40. This total is based on producing three publication cycles of the Sask Dispatch and up to two publications of the RWDSU Defender. The assumed workload is 44 hours of work per month, plus five hours of training in December, calculated at a rate of $20/hour, plus a cash bonus equivalent to pro-rated benefits for permanent staff. Briarpatch is open to re-negotiating throughout the contract term if the workload changes. Briarpatch is also willing to negotiate a payment schedule, so the successful candidate could be paid at regular intervals throughout the contract.

As a contractor, the successful candidate will be responsible for making necessary arrangements with regards to income tax, EI, CPP, etc. Briarpatch can provide guidance to the successful candidate regarding this.

Briarpatch staff and board members are fundraising with the goal of making this position a permanent part-time staff position by the time the six-month contract comes up for renewal.

This position requires that the successful applicant live in Saskatchewan; you can work remotely, or work from the Briarpatch office in downtown Regina. We regret that the office is not wheelchair accessible – we are located in a second floor office accessible only by stairs.

The Defender and Sask Dispatch are laid out in Adobe Suite. Access to Adobe Suite will be made available at the Briarpatch office. Briarpatch is open to negotiating solutions for remote candidates without access to Adobe Suite.

Qualifications

The minimum requirements for this position are:

• an expert command of the English language;
• a firm grasp of progressive politics and the issues facing Saskatchewan residents;
• familiarity with Microsoft Word and Excel, as well as Google Docs, Sheets, and Forms;
• ability to take direction and work independently;
• masterful organization and time-management skills, including the ability to prioritize and tackle a wide array of tasks varying in urgency and importance;
• residence in Saskatchewan;
• a willingness to learn.

The preferred skills for this position are:

• editing, journalism, and/or creative/political writing;
• familiarity with the Saskatchewan labour movement and grassroots organizing;
• Canadian Press style;
• Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign and Photoshop);
• social media platforms (Twitter and Facebook);
• email newsletter management;
• web content management;
• non-profit fundraising.

You don’t need to have the preferred skills to apply for this position, but the successful candidate can expect to acquire those skills over the course of the position. Learning the preferred skills is a prerequisite for taking over as full editor.

How to apply

Your application should include the following:

1. Resume
2. Cover letter
3. Writing sample

Please email your application to [email protected] by November 8, 2021.

We strongly encourage members of marginalized groups – including Indigenous people, Black people, and people of colour; Two-Spirit, queer, trans, and non-binary people; disabled people; poor and working-class people; and women – to apply. We also encourage applications from those living in rural areas of Saskatchewan. We thank all applicants for their interest in the position. We will only contact those selected for an interview.

The start date for this position will be January 4, 2022, with five paid hours of training in early or mid December. The dates and times of this training will be determined based on your availability.