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Shameful union busting by Pacifica
Pacifica’s executive director, Arlene Engelhardt, has axed KPFA’s Morning Show, dismissing its entire staff, and ordering it replaced with piped-in programs from KPFK, the network’s Los Angeles station.
The KPFA Morning Show is the station’s most popular locally-produced program. The show’s staff — Aimee Allison, Brian Edwards-Tiekert, Laura Prives and Esther Manilla — bring in more money than any other KPFA program.
“This move shows utter incompetence,” said newly-elected KPFA board member Margy Wilkinson. “KPFA desperately needs all the funding it can get. Targeting the station’s highest revenue-producing programming makes no sense at all. It is clear politics are at work here, not common sense.”
Manilla gave a first-hand account on tonight’s KPFA Evening News, saying the move came directly from Pacifica management, bypassing local KPFA managers. Manilla is a shop steward with KPFA’s staff union, CWA Local 9415. The union filed an unfair labor practice charge on Friday, charging Pacifica with unlawfully failing to bargain over alternatives to cuts.
Unpaid KPFA programmer David Bacon, who broadcasts a long-running labor segment on the Morning Show, had this exchange with Engelhardt. Morning Show staffer Brian Edwards-Tiegert posted this account.
The cuts follow less than a week after a spirited rally outside KPFA, in which listeners asked the highly-paid Engelhardt to reveal her own salary. This informative 7-minute video by KPFA reporter John Hamilton shows Engelhardt’s reaction, and clearly explains the key issues at stake.
Pacifica’s national board last week overruled KPFA’s local elected board, which had voted to support a Sustainable Budget drawn up by station staff that cuts the network’s bureaucracy instead of programming. That budget would net over $250,000 worth of cost-saving measures.
ACTION ALERT: Demand the return of the Morning Show! COME BY KPFA on TUESDAY at 11 AM. You can also write Engelhardt via this page. Call for her resignation immediately and reinstatement of the Morning Show staff. While you’re at it, demand the adoption of the Sustainable Budget. Engelhardt’s office number is (510) 849-2590, ext 208 and her cell number is (510) 402-9880.
“This move shows utter incompetence,” said newly-elected KPFA board member Margy Wilkinson. “KPFA desperately needs all the funding it can get. Targeting the station’s highest revenue-producing programming makes no sense at all. It is clear politics are at work here, not common sense.”
Manilla gave a first-hand account on tonight’s KPFA Evening News, saying the move came directly from Pacifica management, bypassing local KPFA managers. Manilla is a shop steward with KPFA’s staff union, CWA Local 9415. The union filed an unfair labor practice charge on Friday, charging Pacifica with unlawfully failing to bargain over alternatives to cuts.
Unpaid KPFA programmer David Bacon, who broadcasts a long-running labor segment on the Morning Show, had this exchange with Engelhardt. Morning Show staffer Brian Edwards-Tiegert posted this account.
The cuts follow less than a week after a spirited rally outside KPFA, in which listeners asked the highly-paid Engelhardt to reveal her own salary. This informative 7-minute video by KPFA reporter John Hamilton shows Engelhardt’s reaction, and clearly explains the key issues at stake.
Pacifica’s national board last week overruled KPFA’s local elected board, which had voted to support a Sustainable Budget drawn up by station staff that cuts the network’s bureaucracy instead of programming. That budget would net over $250,000 worth of cost-saving measures.
ACTION ALERT: Demand the return of the Morning Show! COME BY KPFA on TUESDAY at 11 AM. You can also write Engelhardt via this page. Call for her resignation immediately and reinstatement of the Morning Show staff. While you’re at it, demand the adoption of the Sustainable Budget. Engelhardt’s office number is (510) 849-2590, ext 208 and her cell number is (510) 402-9880.
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The crew that were recently laid off at KPFA were supporters of the Concerned Listeners and "Save KPFA". That is the real reason these people are screaming. They were laid off by seniority and they have be in cahoots with the local management to make arbitrary layoffs. It is also a lie that the Morning Show is the most popular show. Flashpoints raises far more money but again this crew has a problem with the truth.
Finally, where were these same people when cutbacks took place earlier under the present management. They supported them unless they faced cutbacks. They control a company union and use it to do their personal bidding without a democratic vote of the membership of the union.
They put out a baldfaced lie that individuals were discussed in the layoff plans. This was a falsification of the facts and they put these lies out publicly.
Finally the former Local Station Board Treasurer Brian Edward-Tiekert helped cover-up the financial crisis and did damage control for their former incompetent manager Lemlem Rijio when she "misplaced" a $375,000 check to Pacifica. He has also lied to the media about misuse of money and should have been fired years ago for malfeasance and violation of the foundation rules.
Finally, where were these same people when cutbacks took place earlier under the present management. They supported them unless they faced cutbacks. They control a company union and use it to do their personal bidding without a democratic vote of the membership of the union.
They put out a baldfaced lie that individuals were discussed in the layoff plans. This was a falsification of the facts and they put these lies out publicly.
Finally the former Local Station Board Treasurer Brian Edward-Tiekert helped cover-up the financial crisis and did damage control for their former incompetent manager Lemlem Rijio when she "misplaced" a $375,000 check to Pacifica. He has also lied to the media about misuse of money and should have been fired years ago for malfeasance and violation of the foundation rules.
please fix
like anonymous and unsourced posts?
Aaron Glantz the most popular show on kpfa is not the morning show, and never has been. Whatever you mean by popular sure doesn't represent the reality of what is going on and why they are on the chopping block. Aaron if it was about your opinion of who is popular all of pacifica could have gone down with shows like the ones Brian makes. People go back to sleep, or tune out. Never thought that was a factor in this case Aaron, or is that not a part of your reality. Look at their small, wannabe protest they recently had. I would be amazed to count up to fifty people there that show up, and considering how popular you make them sound, and how long has the show been on the air that they lack so much community support when it actually calls the "masses" to action(lol). Aaron is instigating a misleading fact that the morning show is "the most popular show", and is not considering the reality of how unpopular the people on the show have become that it is not popular anymore.
My initial post named KTLA (the commercial progressive affliate) as part of the Pacifica network. I meant KPFT.
I believe you meant KPFK. KPFT is the station in Houston
My favorite part of The Morning Show today (9 November) was Brian Edwards-Tiekert's takedown of Felipe Messina, whom called in under an assumed name. The opposition, i.e. Richard Phelps, Aaron Aarons. Tracy Rosenberg, Mr. Messina, wraps itself in demagoguery and casts anonymity as the refuge of the weak, only to utilize it themselves. The ends justify the means, don't they Mr. Messina et Ms. Rosenberg?
yea, by their fruits ye shall know them.
yea, by their fruits ye shall know them.
THE BEST THING FOR KPFA IS TO GET RIDE OF FUCKING BET . BET HAS NO HUMAN DIGNITY . HE SHUT DOWN THE ONLY CALLING LISTENER WHO DID NOT AGREE WITH HIM . HE IS A ZIONIST A SNAKE.
>>casts anonymity as the refuge of the weak
It's funny how those losing arguments always try to shift the focus to "who" instead of the issues. People on here see through it.
It's funny how those losing arguments always try to shift the focus to "who" instead of the issues. People on here see through it.
If the entity that signs as 'ukexica' were worth taking seriously, I would be flattered by the fact that it puts me as number 2 on its enemies list, ahead even of Tracy Rosenberg.
The entrenched staff gang who hijacked the air for their distorted, one-sided presentation, had their friends like Matthew Lazar, Ian Boal and Larry Bensky on, but wouldn't even let one opponent, Felipe Messina, on for a minute or two. Of course, if he had given his name when he called, the hijackers wouldn't have let him on even for a second. It's too bad he couldn't disguise his voice.
There's nothing wrong with using a false name to get past censorship. But what's your excuse, 'ukexica'?
The entrenched staff gang who hijacked the air for their distorted, one-sided presentation, had their friends like Matthew Lazar, Ian Boal and Larry Bensky on, but wouldn't even let one opponent, Felipe Messina, on for a minute or two. Of course, if he had given his name when he called, the hijackers wouldn't have let him on even for a second. It's too bad he couldn't disguise his voice.
There's nothing wrong with using a false name to get past censorship. But what's your excuse, 'ukexica'?
This morning show brings me down... biased, slanted reporting and interviews... I have only been a member a short time but have been listening for a couple years now. The morning show is the worst of the programing in terms of content and what seems like truthful and unbiased reporting... from what I am reading regarding the history of these issues at KPFA and from what my own feelings are about what I hear on air... GOOD RIDDANCE... There are other shows facing cuts that have much more value than this one.... As for what the morning show brings in as far as donations goes, any proper show in that time slot would be the highest grossing... the arguments I hear are absurd... happy to see the Brian guy go. In some circles of friends he would be know as what is referred to as a "Drama Queen"... Enough already... put someone from the KPFA staff in this time slot that has some ethics and loyalty to the true cause... not the pseudo causes of the day...
V
V
BTW - I did write to Englehardt and I encourage all others to do the same... I wrote to her and told how pleased I am that something new and fresh will be coming my way for my morning drive... I cannot wait...
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