[lbo-talk] KPFA Staff: Memo regarding UPSO

[Joseph Wanzala]

There is of course a broader context/subtext around this latestdevelopment. Ironically it happened the day before Media News moved towithdraw recognition of the labor union representing reporter andeditors at several bay area newspapers (seehttp://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/08/14/BU2MRHRSJ.DTL) This is part of a series of actions by a small coterie within KPFAmanagement to arrogate to themselves all decision making power and toundermine and ultimately dispense with the democratic governancestructures that we have labored/are laboring to put in place over thelast decade.One immediate effect of this action to throw the election of the UPSO(the Unpaid Staff Organization) Council - and by extension the programcouncil - into crisis as most of the upaid staff have either sent inor are sending in their ballots. Over the past few months KPFAmanagement have sought to undermine efforts by UPSO members toresuscitate the organization which has been moribund for variousreasons, precisely because the KPFA management, their claims to be'pro-union' notwithstanding, recognizes that an organized andautonomous UPSO is an obstacle to their apparent goal of imposing acommand and control type system at the station.More on this to follow.Joe W.Forwarded message ----------From: KPFA Staff Announcements <kpfa-staff at mailinglists.kpfa.org>To: <kpfa-staff at mailinglists.kpfa.org>Date: Mon, 13 Aug 2007 13:52:08 -0700Subject: KPFA Staff: Memo regarding UPSOFrom:              General Manager's OfficeTo:                  All Unpaid StaffRe:                  Unpaid Staff OrganizationDate:               August 10, 2007The purpose of this memo is to clarify the role of unpaid staff atKPFA and the unpaid staff organization's relationship toKPFA/Pacifica.According to the Pacifica Bylaws Section 1 B:"Staff Members" shall be: (1) any non-management full-time orpart-time paid employee of a Foundation radio station; or (2) anymember of a Foundation radio station "Unpaid Staff Organization" or"Unpaid Staff Collective Bargaining Unit" which has been recognized bystation management, or, if the station has neither such organizationor bargaining unit, then any volunteer or unpaid staff member of aFoundation radio station who has worked for said radio station atleast 30 hours in the preceding 3 months, exclusive of fundraisingmarathon telephone room volunteer time. Said volunteer work shall beperformed under the supervision of the Foundation radio stationmanagement...As KPFA staff, paid and unpaid, you have specific rights guaranteed toyou by law and the Pacifica Bylaws.As unpaid staff, you are welcome to form organizations, collectives,working groups, etc. to support one another.  However, currently,there is no management recognized "unpaid staff organization."  Thisis because the "unpaid staff organization" at KPFA has not functionedfor nearly two years.  The 'unpaid staff organization' has also notconformed to its own charter (bylaws) for nearly two years.Therefore, the eligibility requirement for unpaid staff who would liketo run and/or vote in the upcoming local station board election willbe determined based on the requirement of working for the station atleast 30 hours between June 1st, 2007 and August 31st, 2007 inaccordance with the Pacifica Bylaws (see above).The work unpaid staff performs is essential to the station, and I amcommitted to developing systems and infrastructure that supportsunpaid staff.  As unpaid staff, you deserve to work in an environmentthat is safe and where your contribution to the station is respected.KPFA management is committed to providing a safe work environment forall staff and to providing all staff the necessary support to creategreat radio.  We all share the responsibility of fulfilling thePacifica Mission and providing listeners with outstanding programming.Lemlem RijioInterim GMC.c.      Greg Guma, Pacifica Executive DirectorDan Siegel, Pacifica Corporate CouncilCasey Peters, National Election Supervisor               (for 2007election period)
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