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T.R. explains the supposed PNB "Purge List"
Tracy Rosenberg's letter giving the cuts proposed by KPFA management at the meeting with the
Executive Director Arlene Engelhardt, which violate the union seniority list; vs. Tracy's recommendations, which *do* follow the seniority list plus other vital considerations.
The latter is the supposed "politically motivated" hit list, whereas the former *is* a politically motivated hit list, in which higher seniority members and the hardhitting programs Flashpoints and Hardknock Radio, already disproportionately cut, would bear the brunt for the new cuts.
Executive Director Arlene Engelhardt, which violate the union seniority list; vs. Tracy's recommendations, which *do* follow the seniority list plus other vital considerations.
The latter is the supposed "politically motivated" hit list, whereas the former *is* a politically motivated hit list, in which higher seniority members and the hardhitting programs Flashpoints and Hardknock Radio, already disproportionately cut, would bear the brunt for the new cuts.
A personal statement written by Tracy Rosenberg, in response to the on-air attacks that were leveled against Tracy, Joe Wanzala and Shahram Aghamir, [KPFA delegates to the Pacifica National Board] on the closing days (9/29 & 9/30/2010) of the KPFA LSB election, by Mitch Jeserich (Letters to Washington), Brian Edwards Tiekert (Morning Show) and CS Soong (Against the Grain):
[See the charges at this website: http://kpfaworker.wordpress.com ]
The critical element from Tracy's below statement is her reference to the alternative staff reduction plan, proposed by KPFA management, at this "secret" meeting, which is clearly in violation of the paid staff's union contract. (Chandra)
Date: Fri, 15 Oct 2010
From: Tracy Rosenberg
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
this is just a letter from myself to you and reflects only
my own experiences. . . . . . . . . . .
Firstly, thank you for returning me to the board and as the 2nd place
finisher overall out of 27. I am honored by the trust you have placed
in me, especially with such disturbing rhetoric flying around in a
circus-like atmosphere.
On September 20th, I reported the unsuccessful outcome of 15 hours of
budgetary meetings to my colleagues on the Pacifica National Board. I
reported that a balanced budget had not been achieved. I am grateful
to Ms. Englehardt [Executive Director of Pacifica] that she listened to the
concerns and initiated conversations about them with the national directors
from the KPFA unit (one of whom, Andrea Turner of Concerned Listeners,
declined the invitation).
On September 22nd, I listened to and participated in a brainstorming
session. . . . . . . . . . .I listened to KPFA's interim management present a
plan to deal with the budget deficit.
That plan was to remove Flashpoints from the 5pm evening slot and
replace it with a syndicated news program from an external source. To
remove Hard Knock radio from the 4pm evening slot and replace it with
a syndicated Baltimore NPR program hosted by Michael Dyson. I listened
to a plan to implement staff cuts in these positions in the seniority
chart (1 being the highest seniority): #9, #10, #13, #14, #15, #18,
#20 and #26. . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . .
I had reviewed the CWA Local
9415 [KPFA's paid staff's union] contract. I had reviewed the staff seniority
chart. I had thought about the structural problems that might result from
implementing the contract as written, namely that seniority must prevail.
A more intelligible, ethical, reasonable and labor positive conversation
would have looked more like this: #36, #34, #32, #31, # 29, #28, #27,
#25, #24 and #23 (with a few skips mostly linked to shop steward
status, core operational functions and in one case, the non-viability
of replacement by a more senior individual).
And presto - there's your "political hit list".
[The list publicized by the CL/Save KPFA & staff members as a politically
motivated hit list, removing KPFA's most popular & valuable programs,
they said, was Tracy's union seniority list]
A few notes for the record:
*There is no misdirected email. The contents of the meeting were not emailed.
[The non-factual reporters of malfeasance claimed that they got the information from a misdirected email.]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
*News and information on our radio station has been subordinated to a
job self-preservation campaign featuring the hostile profiling of PNB
members engaged in their fiduciary duties . The radio is not to be
used to incite opposition to financial planning. That is not what it
is for.
*One of KPFA's shop stewards who stopped by the PNB meeting in New
York City where the board of directors unanimously supported the
Pacifica executive director in implementing seniority-based layoffs to
bring expenses into line with revenue at the Berkeley unit,* was told
PNB members would be happy to meet with staff on their return. No
request has been made with 24 hours notice or when I, myself, was not
physically on an airplane at the time.
* [The following motion was passed unanimously at the Pacifica Foundation Board meeting in executive session on Sunday, October 3, 2010:
"The Pacifica Foundation Board fully supports the Pacifica Foundation Executive Director in the difficult task of balancing the KPFA budget; utilizing the staff cuts recommended by the Executive Director in accordance with principles she has enunciated, of respect for seniority, recognition of skill sets and maintaining the programming grid to the extent possible." ]
*The Local 9415 of the CWA (a union whose national office I have
cordial relations with and have worked with some in opposition to the
Comcast/NBC merger) is acting in an irresponsible manner. Siding with
management to advocate for unfair reductions that violate the basic
seniority provisions in their own contract and endorsing slates in
board elections is the kind of behavior that gives unions a bad name.**
** See http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2010/10/02/18660502.php
Let's remember the context. We have lost a million dollars in 24
months. We are out of money. In the last month, KPFA borrowed money
from the Houston station to make its payroll, had its long distance
telephone service cut off and its online archives collapse.
KPFA in 2009-2010 looks to have the largest deficit and the largest
payroll in the network. It is a failing unit.
KPFK in Los Angeles has a bigger signal area, is not posting massive
deficits, and does it with about 24 FTE. [Full Time Hours] KPFA is currently
at 30.51 and after ``decimation'' as it was so hysterically described, would also
be at approximately 24 FTE.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tracy Rosenberg
[See the charges at this website: http://kpfaworker.wordpress.com ]
The critical element from Tracy's below statement is her reference to the alternative staff reduction plan, proposed by KPFA management, at this "secret" meeting, which is clearly in violation of the paid staff's union contract. (Chandra)
Date: Fri, 15 Oct 2010
From: Tracy Rosenberg
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
this is just a letter from myself to you and reflects only
my own experiences. . . . . . . . . . .
Firstly, thank you for returning me to the board and as the 2nd place
finisher overall out of 27. I am honored by the trust you have placed
in me, especially with such disturbing rhetoric flying around in a
circus-like atmosphere.
On September 20th, I reported the unsuccessful outcome of 15 hours of
budgetary meetings to my colleagues on the Pacifica National Board. I
reported that a balanced budget had not been achieved. I am grateful
to Ms. Englehardt [Executive Director of Pacifica] that she listened to the
concerns and initiated conversations about them with the national directors
from the KPFA unit (one of whom, Andrea Turner of Concerned Listeners,
declined the invitation).
On September 22nd, I listened to and participated in a brainstorming
session. . . . . . . . . . .I listened to KPFA's interim management present a
plan to deal with the budget deficit.
That plan was to remove Flashpoints from the 5pm evening slot and
replace it with a syndicated news program from an external source. To
remove Hard Knock radio from the 4pm evening slot and replace it with
a syndicated Baltimore NPR program hosted by Michael Dyson. I listened
to a plan to implement staff cuts in these positions in the seniority
chart (1 being the highest seniority): #9, #10, #13, #14, #15, #18,
#20 and #26. . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . .
I had reviewed the CWA Local
9415 [KPFA's paid staff's union] contract. I had reviewed the staff seniority
chart. I had thought about the structural problems that might result from
implementing the contract as written, namely that seniority must prevail.
A more intelligible, ethical, reasonable and labor positive conversation
would have looked more like this: #36, #34, #32, #31, # 29, #28, #27,
#25, #24 and #23 (with a few skips mostly linked to shop steward
status, core operational functions and in one case, the non-viability
of replacement by a more senior individual).
And presto - there's your "political hit list".
[The list publicized by the CL/Save KPFA & staff members as a politically
motivated hit list, removing KPFA's most popular & valuable programs,
they said, was Tracy's union seniority list]
A few notes for the record:
*There is no misdirected email. The contents of the meeting were not emailed.
[The non-factual reporters of malfeasance claimed that they got the information from a misdirected email.]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
*News and information on our radio station has been subordinated to a
job self-preservation campaign featuring the hostile profiling of PNB
members engaged in their fiduciary duties . The radio is not to be
used to incite opposition to financial planning. That is not what it
is for.
*One of KPFA's shop stewards who stopped by the PNB meeting in New
York City where the board of directors unanimously supported the
Pacifica executive director in implementing seniority-based layoffs to
bring expenses into line with revenue at the Berkeley unit,* was told
PNB members would be happy to meet with staff on their return. No
request has been made with 24 hours notice or when I, myself, was not
physically on an airplane at the time.
* [The following motion was passed unanimously at the Pacifica Foundation Board meeting in executive session on Sunday, October 3, 2010:
"The Pacifica Foundation Board fully supports the Pacifica Foundation Executive Director in the difficult task of balancing the KPFA budget; utilizing the staff cuts recommended by the Executive Director in accordance with principles she has enunciated, of respect for seniority, recognition of skill sets and maintaining the programming grid to the extent possible." ]
*The Local 9415 of the CWA (a union whose national office I have
cordial relations with and have worked with some in opposition to the
Comcast/NBC merger) is acting in an irresponsible manner. Siding with
management to advocate for unfair reductions that violate the basic
seniority provisions in their own contract and endorsing slates in
board elections is the kind of behavior that gives unions a bad name.**
** See http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2010/10/02/18660502.php
Let's remember the context. We have lost a million dollars in 24
months. We are out of money. In the last month, KPFA borrowed money
from the Houston station to make its payroll, had its long distance
telephone service cut off and its online archives collapse.
KPFA in 2009-2010 looks to have the largest deficit and the largest
payroll in the network. It is a failing unit.
KPFK in Los Angeles has a bigger signal area, is not posting massive
deficits, and does it with about 24 FTE. [Full Time Hours] KPFA is currently
at 30.51 and after ``decimation'' as it was so hysterically described, would also
be at approximately 24 FTE.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tracy Rosenberg
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During the recently concluded LSB campaign, ICR frequently stated their opposition to 'professional' journalism, under the aegis that objective journalism obscures a reality revealed by a subjective vantage. If anyone was listening to Setting the Standard early Monday morning, you may have gotten a preview of the sort of programing we can expect from a more volunteer-staffed KPFA.
I didn't catch the host's name, if you scrub (link to archive below) to 1:36:40, she begins a discussion on the relative merits of Prop. 19. It turns out that the guests clear opposition to the ballot measure is because it is a Manchurian ballot measure designed by Monsatnto, whom apparently owns Blackwater/Xe Services. At 1:41:50, we find out that "the black helicopters" are already hovering over the Emerald Triangle.
When Nora Barrows-Friedman was cut, the staff of Flashpoints and ICR howled (no pun intended) that this was political reprisal, as opposed to an exercise under KPFA's Union contract. ICR's modus operandi is simple: cut staff (according to a seniority chart that just happens not to axe individually whom are like-minded politically), stop gap with volunteers, thereby balkanizing the programing schedule with 'community programing,' and magically, the supporters of a more subjective/subversive KPFA will donate in amounts sufficient to cover the rest of the budget items that aren't associated with labor costs.
Professionalism could be defined as the acquisition of skills over time, and the consistent application of them. Isn't part of the outrage over Nadra Foster based on the fact that she was treated as less than a professional, despite having demonstrable talent?
http://www.kpfa.org/archive/id/64891
I didn't catch the host's name, if you scrub (link to archive below) to 1:36:40, she begins a discussion on the relative merits of Prop. 19. It turns out that the guests clear opposition to the ballot measure is because it is a Manchurian ballot measure designed by Monsatnto, whom apparently owns Blackwater/Xe Services. At 1:41:50, we find out that "the black helicopters" are already hovering over the Emerald Triangle.
When Nora Barrows-Friedman was cut, the staff of Flashpoints and ICR howled (no pun intended) that this was political reprisal, as opposed to an exercise under KPFA's Union contract. ICR's modus operandi is simple: cut staff (according to a seniority chart that just happens not to axe individually whom are like-minded politically), stop gap with volunteers, thereby balkanizing the programing schedule with 'community programing,' and magically, the supporters of a more subjective/subversive KPFA will donate in amounts sufficient to cover the rest of the budget items that aren't associated with labor costs.
Professionalism could be defined as the acquisition of skills over time, and the consistent application of them. Isn't part of the outrage over Nadra Foster based on the fact that she was treated as less than a professional, despite having demonstrable talent?
http://www.kpfa.org/archive/id/64891
Setting The Standard is a MUSIC program, not a public affairs program, and its on at 1:00 in the morning.
Why don't you find an example from one of the excellent volunteer-produced PUBLIC AFFAIRS programs? Usually DJ's don't aspire to the standards of journalism, they aspire to the standards of spinning a good set.
Nora Barrows-Friedman is a darned good journalist. I hear Al-Jazeera is utilizing her services since KPFA decided that she deserved the most severe hourly cut of all their employees last December.
The outrage over Nadra Foster is because the police were called on her and beat her up in the hallway of the radio station. You got a problem being outraged about that?
Why don't you find an example from one of the excellent volunteer-produced PUBLIC AFFAIRS programs? Usually DJ's don't aspire to the standards of journalism, they aspire to the standards of spinning a good set.
Nora Barrows-Friedman is a darned good journalist. I hear Al-Jazeera is utilizing her services since KPFA decided that she deserved the most severe hourly cut of all their employees last December.
The outrage over Nadra Foster is because the police were called on her and beat her up in the hallway of the radio station. You got a problem being outraged about that?
Point taken: Setting the Standard is not a public affairs program, my point was that by replacing professional journalists with community volunteers we are opening the door to more subjectively-informed perspectives, which ICR has stated as being part and parcel to its agenda, and is clearly trying to enact as evident by their one-note budget proposal.
I'm glad I have your attention. ICR is just as Machiavellian as Save KPFA, their respective ends are justified by divergent means, and both camps represent two well-established ideologies w/r/t npo administration.
All this talk about propaganda, Nadra Foster, Mama who-ever-the-hell is populist poppycock, and only has relevance to the budget if ICR's schedule of cuts are politically motivated. Like the grey-haired generals that send the youth off to war, ICR fashions itself as village elders that want the next-generation of KPFA listeners to fight their battles. While ICR rages about Save KPFA representing the tyranny of KPFA's professional journalists, they don't acknowledge that they are comprised of professional activists. So really, its professional objectivity vs. professional subjectivity.
If Nora Barrows-Friedman has a gig with Al Jazeera, than I'm sure she's happy with the additional exposure that comes from being associated with a reputable, professional journalistic outfit. I'll address your request for a public affairs example of subjectivity in another post (probably something from Guns and Butter, the one where Webster Tarply (sic) tries to link Cass Sunstein to Philip Zelikow in some sort of conspiratorial six-degrees-of-seperation, as Dennis Bernstein is paid to produce Flashpoints and wouldn't bit the bill of being volunteer-produced)
If you went to the Robert Fisk recently held in Berkeley, you would have witnessed a perfect example of ICR's tone-defness. After Mr. Fisk spent an hour talking about how the general public resorts to trying to confront the powers that be with recieved language, i.e. the Palestinian Freedom Flotilla, Janet Cobrun (apologies on the mispelling, and thanks on the impending correction) went up to the mic and talk about how she was a member of said flotilla, and then disregarded Mr. Fisk we he highlighted her use of the term as an example of what he was speaking to.
I'm glad I have your attention. ICR is just as Machiavellian as Save KPFA, their respective ends are justified by divergent means, and both camps represent two well-established ideologies w/r/t npo administration.
All this talk about propaganda, Nadra Foster, Mama who-ever-the-hell is populist poppycock, and only has relevance to the budget if ICR's schedule of cuts are politically motivated. Like the grey-haired generals that send the youth off to war, ICR fashions itself as village elders that want the next-generation of KPFA listeners to fight their battles. While ICR rages about Save KPFA representing the tyranny of KPFA's professional journalists, they don't acknowledge that they are comprised of professional activists. So really, its professional objectivity vs. professional subjectivity.
If Nora Barrows-Friedman has a gig with Al Jazeera, than I'm sure she's happy with the additional exposure that comes from being associated with a reputable, professional journalistic outfit. I'll address your request for a public affairs example of subjectivity in another post (probably something from Guns and Butter, the one where Webster Tarply (sic) tries to link Cass Sunstein to Philip Zelikow in some sort of conspiratorial six-degrees-of-seperation, as Dennis Bernstein is paid to produce Flashpoints and wouldn't bit the bill of being volunteer-produced)
If you went to the Robert Fisk recently held in Berkeley, you would have witnessed a perfect example of ICR's tone-defness. After Mr. Fisk spent an hour talking about how the general public resorts to trying to confront the powers that be with recieved language, i.e. the Palestinian Freedom Flotilla, Janet Cobrun (apologies on the mispelling, and thanks on the impending correction) went up to the mic and talk about how she was a member of said flotilla, and then disregarded Mr. Fisk we he highlighted her use of the term as an example of what he was speaking to.
You go Tracy! I'm a union man and the union contract must be followed to the letter. No ifs, ands, or buts. Glad to know we can count on you to make sure the contract is enforced.
Right ON ROSENBERG!
The Big Lies on the part of the "KPFAworker" faction about what is happening with the mandated hours cuts to paid staff continues.
To help bring some clarity into some of this, I posted the relevant parts of the CWA/KPFA Union contract, but it's so far down on the Media page as not to be very visible, so I want to link it here as well.
See http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2010/10/29/18662599.php
To help bring some clarity into some of this, I posted the relevant parts of the CWA/KPFA Union contract, but it's so far down on the Media page as not to be very visible, so I want to link it here as well.
See http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2010/10/29/18662599.php
About the adoption of a budget by Pacifica, Arlene Engelhardt and LaVarn Williams tried to present the facts on the Morning Show, while being subjected to repeated hostile questions by Brian Edwards-Tiekert, who shouted over their attempted responses.
Another real low in KPFA journalism.
However, you can hear (much of it) at http://kpfa.org/archive/id/64918
Meantime, the lies continue as listeners are directed to KPFAworker by those who *do* have access to this resource supposedly for the voiceless (us).
Another real low in KPFA journalism.
However, you can hear (much of it) at http://kpfa.org/archive/id/64918
Meantime, the lies continue as listeners are directed to KPFAworker by those who *do* have access to this resource supposedly for the voiceless (us).
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