[lbo-talk] Re: KPFA Agonisties

Sasha Lilley sashalilley at yahoo.com
Tue Jul 19 17:55:11 PDT 2005


"Joseph Wanzala" <jwanzala at hotmail.com>
>as well as being even-handedly supportive of
> all programmers -

While you're trying to spin this in every direction, the issue with the GM at KPFA is one of sexual harassment and a hostile workplace. As someone who works at the station, I think I have a more immediate and informed perspective on how evenhanded KPFA's general manager Roy Campanella has been. At least six women have alleged sexual harassment by Campanella, while a larger number of women have alleged inappropriate behavior. He has repeatedly violated workers' rights to organize themselves through intimidation and other tactics. Eleven weeks ago he threatened a worker and followed him down to the sidewalk to fight. As someone has already said on this list, at any corporate workplace, Campanella would be gone for this, but at KPFA his fate as GM is about to drag on to its 7th Local Station Board meeting.

(Your wild-eyed statements about some attempt to get rid of Flashpoints or your contradictory narrative of Roy being hired as the stooge of the staff don't merit response.)


> SO, CIRCA 1996, MANY OF
> THE STAFF AT NOW COMPLAINING THAT THEIR RIGHTS AS
> WORKERS ARE BEING TRAMPLED
> ON, VOTED TO LEAVE THE UEW, AND JOIN THE
> COMMUNICATIONS WORKERS OF AMERICA
> AND AS PART OF THE DEAL, TO EXCLUDE UNPAID STAFF
> FROM THE UNION. THIS ENTIRE

I don't need to get lectured by you about having the temerity to stand up for my rights as a (woman) worker because you don't like my union (and, like so many other workers at the station, I wasn't even around KPFA at the time of the switch from UE). CWA has been doing a terrific job defending both the paid and unpaid women at the station. It's also worth noting that a great many of the 70 plus workers who signed a "no confidence" (in Roy) statement are unpaid staff.

By law we workers are guaranteed a safe workplace and board members like you should be deeply concerned about that issue -- if not as progressives, then as those whose job is to protect the KPFA and the foundation from legal liability. And as a board member who presumably is considering whether to remove Campanella -- in the face of the very serious allegations of sexual harassment and the threat of violence -- it seems highly irresponsible that you are making public statements about what the workers "real" motives are.


> making Pacifica work, then perhaps, someday we shall
> all be free.'
> Joe W.

Just to be free from your hostile assumptions would be a good start.

Sasha

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