Yes, I've used the Image & Text block with left position. The settings options I selected are Image Position = Left; Image Size = 25%; and No Padding.
The Image Position setting determines which side the image will display in relationship to the placeholder text.
The Image Size settings does not resize the image as one might imagine. Instead, it resizes the invisible cell, which the actual image is placed. The larger the % the larger the cell width. The actual image will always be positioned center of the image cell. When the Image Size setting is increased, the image appears to move further left because it is re-centering itself to larger cell width.
In short there's not really a work around. The Image & Text block, which consists of one row with two columns (one for image and one for text), works as designed. It is also responsive as designed.
Sorry for the lengthy comment. Perhaps it will shed more clarity into the function of the Image & Text block.