KPFA's Union Members (CWA) Letter to Local Station Board about Flashpoints Crying Wolf

Dear members of the KPFA Local Station Board,

We the undersigned union members at KPFA are writing to express our concern about the partisan public stand that some members of the board have been making about who should get laid off or cut at KPFA and who should not. It is not the role of board members to advocate for special treatment for particular staff members—including those staff members who are your friends or allies. You are undermining our union by doing so.

Flashpoints is not the only program that has been cut as KPFA attempts to balance its budget. KPFA programs and staff have been cut across the board, with apparently more cuts to come, including:

*The Morning Show, the most listened-to locally produced program on KPFA, which features hard hitting interviews and analysis
*The News Department, which provides head lines throughout the morning and afternoon, as well as an hour-long state-wide newscast
*Against the Grain, a program of radical ideas and action
*Hard Knock Radio, a youth oriented program in drive time
*Essential subscription and other union positions have also been cut

As you know, the Pacifica National Board said the station must cut $300,000. We may not like it, but we are all sharing the pain together as we all work to stay true to the mission of Pacifica to produce cutting edge programming that opposes war and investigates the causes of conflict, whether economic, religious, national, or racial. Therefore, it is very upsetting to us as union members that some members of the KPFA board have circulated public statements that privileges one program that airs five hours a week above all others. In case you have been told that this program has been hit disproportionately hard, you should know that even after the cuts, no program has more paid staff per hour than Flashpoints.

In hard times, we all have to stand together, rather than seek to save our skins at the expense of everyone else. That is the basis of worker solidarity and it's a principle we strongly believe in. If you would like to do anything to help us as workers at the station, fundraising for the station—which is a central part of your duties as board members—would be a good start.

Sincerely,


Eric Klein, Flashpoints, Communications Workers of America, Local 9415

Aileen Alfandary, News Co-Director, CWA 9415

Esther Manilla, Morning Show, CWA 9415

Kris Welch, Living Room, CWA 9415

Philip Maldari, Sunday , CWA 9415

Miguel Guerrero, Web Coordinator, CWA 9415

CS Soong, Against the Grain, CWA 9415

Bob Baldock, Public Events, CWA 9415

Antonio Ortiz, Engineering, CWA 9415

Mitch Jeserich, Letters to Washington, CWA 9415

John Hamilton, Evening News, CWA 9415

Lewis Sawyer, Reception, CWA 9415

Sasha Lilley, Against the Grain, CWA 9415

Max Pringle, News Reporter, CWA 9415

Chris Stehlik, Database, CWA 9415

Mark Mericle, News Co-Director, CWA 9415

Eden Tosch, Subscriptions, CWA 9415

Jan Etre, Crafts Fair, CWA 9415