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KPFA, A Year Later – A Reflection
The layoffs in 2010 were the consequence of the extraordinary boom and bust cycle of the preceding decade.
http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2011-11-09/article/38751?headline=KPFA-A-Year-Later-A-Reflection--By-Akio-Tanaka
KPFA, A Year Later – A Reflection
By Akio Tanaka
Wednesday November 09, 2011 - 09:41:00 AM
Between 2001 and 2006, there was a dramatic increase in Listener Support at KPFA due to the expanding economy and interest in the Iraq-Afghan War. KPFA added many paid staff during this period; however, between 2007 and 2010 Listener Support declined dramatically as the whole economy crashed.
Payments to Pacifica were reduced to reflect the decline in Listener Support, but similar cuts to Salaries and Benefits were not made, and in the fall of 2010 KPFA faced insolvency. The Pacifica Foundation, which is fiscally responsible for the network of five stations, stepped in and made cuts in staffing.
Initially, Pacifica offered voluntary severance to all employees. Seven people accepted the offer, and in the end, two people were laid off, Aimee Allison and Brian Edwards-Tiekert. Edwards-Tiekert had seniority bumping rights which he did not exercise until several months later.
The layoffs were done in accordance with the union contract which says: “In cases where skill, ability, knowledge and job performance are all equal, or could be equal in the opinion of the Employer after reasonable orientation and training, seniority shall prevail”.
Following was the seniority of the paid hosts of Public Affair shows in November of 2010:
Kris Welch - Living Room & Saturday Talkies Host/Producer
Philip Maldari - Sunday Show Host/Producer
Dennis Bernstein - Flashpoints Host/Producer
CS Soong - Against the Grain Host/Producer
Davey D. - Hard Knock Radio Host/Producer
Anita Johnson - Hard Knock Radio Host/Producer
Sasha Lilley - Against the Grain Host/Producer
Miguel Molina - Flashpoints Host/Producer
Brian Edwards-Tiekert - Morning Show Host
Mitch Jeserich - Letters & Politics Host/Producer
Aimee Allison - Morning Show Host
If one single show was to be cancelled based on seniority, it was going to be either the Morning Show or Letters & Politics; however, Communication Workers of America (CWA) claimed that the layoffs violated the terms of the union contract and filed three grievances with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and asked for an arbitrator to rule on reinstating Edwards-Tiekert and Allison to the Morning Show. These claims led many labor supporters to voice solidarity with the CWA and to believe that in fact there had been management misconduct.
In February of 2011, Brian Edwards-Tiekert did exercise his bumping rights and returned as a part-time news reporter. In April, the NLRB issued an advice memo dismissing one of the three CWA grievances and CWA withdrew the two remaining grievances. In July, the arbitrator ruled against Allison’s reinstatement.
Pacifica was vindicated on all counts associated with or having to do with labor issues. Unfortunately, as in any conflict, partisan rhetoric prevailed and continues.
Some claimed that the layoffs were not necessary and that there had been union busting on the part of Pacifica. They also claimed that layoffs were politically motivated.
Some claimed that Pacifica was trying to take over KPFA and make it an all-volunteer station.
Some claimed that Pacifica was taking too much. Audited budget reports show that Payment to Pacifica is pegged to Listener Support, so if Listener Support goes down Payment to Pacifica goes down proportionately.
Some tried to conflate professionalism with paid positions; however, being a paid staff does not confer competence, and it is generally agreed that there are many unpaid staff that are thoroughly professional.
Some tried to cast the cuts as a management-union issue. KPFA is not a traditional corporation where management can make tradeoffs between wages and other expenses (e.g. dividends). At KPFA all the income goes to fixed expenses or Salaries and Benefits, so if the revenue goes down and there are no reserves, there must be cuts to staff.
The reason this conflict arose is because there are real underlying differences at the station.
One is historical. In 1997 CWA became the station union and the unpaid staff lost representation which exacerbated the divide between the paid staff and the unpaid staff. In 2003, in response to the attempted takeover of Pacifica by a group headed by Mary Frances Berry, new bylaws were put in place which called for a democratically elected Local Station Board. This understandably introduced an element of uncertainty for many of the established staff.
Another has to do with assuring the income stream. Naturally, the station would like to see a steady source of income and one way to do this is to appeal to more affluent audience. Some are wary of shows which they fear offend some audiences or appeal exclusively to less affluent and/or narrower audiences.
All this came to a head in the fall of 2010. While it is understandable that people want to keep their jobs and it is the union’s duty to help keep those jobs, the layoffs in 2010 were the consequence of the extraordinary boom and bust cycle of the preceding decade.
KPFA must find a way to continue to raise adequate revenue and produce uncompromised progressive programming.
One lesson from the recent boom and bust cycle is that the station should maintain a paid staffing level that is sustainable over the long term and not subject to economic ups and downs. As always, the most reliable way to keep an even income is to broaden the listener support. This can be best achieved by relentless efforts to produce good programming. Ever improving and relevant programming is bolstered by a strong apprenticeship program and lively, ongoing evaluation of programs. When a new person joins the station, whether a worker or a manager, the old timers must all extend a hand to help the new person become part of the KPFA family.
Pacifica Executive Director Arlene Engelhardt and KPFA Interim General Manager Andrew Phillips and Interim Program Director Carrie Core all deserve our thanks for stepping into a very difficult situation and managing with dignity and generosity.
KPFA, A Year Later – A Reflection
By Akio Tanaka
Wednesday November 09, 2011 - 09:41:00 AM
Between 2001 and 2006, there was a dramatic increase in Listener Support at KPFA due to the expanding economy and interest in the Iraq-Afghan War. KPFA added many paid staff during this period; however, between 2007 and 2010 Listener Support declined dramatically as the whole economy crashed.
Payments to Pacifica were reduced to reflect the decline in Listener Support, but similar cuts to Salaries and Benefits were not made, and in the fall of 2010 KPFA faced insolvency. The Pacifica Foundation, which is fiscally responsible for the network of five stations, stepped in and made cuts in staffing.
Initially, Pacifica offered voluntary severance to all employees. Seven people accepted the offer, and in the end, two people were laid off, Aimee Allison and Brian Edwards-Tiekert. Edwards-Tiekert had seniority bumping rights which he did not exercise until several months later.
The layoffs were done in accordance with the union contract which says: “In cases where skill, ability, knowledge and job performance are all equal, or could be equal in the opinion of the Employer after reasonable orientation and training, seniority shall prevail”.
Following was the seniority of the paid hosts of Public Affair shows in November of 2010:
Kris Welch - Living Room & Saturday Talkies Host/Producer
Philip Maldari - Sunday Show Host/Producer
Dennis Bernstein - Flashpoints Host/Producer
CS Soong - Against the Grain Host/Producer
Davey D. - Hard Knock Radio Host/Producer
Anita Johnson - Hard Knock Radio Host/Producer
Sasha Lilley - Against the Grain Host/Producer
Miguel Molina - Flashpoints Host/Producer
Brian Edwards-Tiekert - Morning Show Host
Mitch Jeserich - Letters & Politics Host/Producer
Aimee Allison - Morning Show Host
If one single show was to be cancelled based on seniority, it was going to be either the Morning Show or Letters & Politics; however, Communication Workers of America (CWA) claimed that the layoffs violated the terms of the union contract and filed three grievances with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and asked for an arbitrator to rule on reinstating Edwards-Tiekert and Allison to the Morning Show. These claims led many labor supporters to voice solidarity with the CWA and to believe that in fact there had been management misconduct.
In February of 2011, Brian Edwards-Tiekert did exercise his bumping rights and returned as a part-time news reporter. In April, the NLRB issued an advice memo dismissing one of the three CWA grievances and CWA withdrew the two remaining grievances. In July, the arbitrator ruled against Allison’s reinstatement.
Pacifica was vindicated on all counts associated with or having to do with labor issues. Unfortunately, as in any conflict, partisan rhetoric prevailed and continues.
Some claimed that the layoffs were not necessary and that there had been union busting on the part of Pacifica. They also claimed that layoffs were politically motivated.
Some claimed that Pacifica was trying to take over KPFA and make it an all-volunteer station.
Some claimed that Pacifica was taking too much. Audited budget reports show that Payment to Pacifica is pegged to Listener Support, so if Listener Support goes down Payment to Pacifica goes down proportionately.
Some tried to conflate professionalism with paid positions; however, being a paid staff does not confer competence, and it is generally agreed that there are many unpaid staff that are thoroughly professional.
Some tried to cast the cuts as a management-union issue. KPFA is not a traditional corporation where management can make tradeoffs between wages and other expenses (e.g. dividends). At KPFA all the income goes to fixed expenses or Salaries and Benefits, so if the revenue goes down and there are no reserves, there must be cuts to staff.
The reason this conflict arose is because there are real underlying differences at the station.
One is historical. In 1997 CWA became the station union and the unpaid staff lost representation which exacerbated the divide between the paid staff and the unpaid staff. In 2003, in response to the attempted takeover of Pacifica by a group headed by Mary Frances Berry, new bylaws were put in place which called for a democratically elected Local Station Board. This understandably introduced an element of uncertainty for many of the established staff.
Another has to do with assuring the income stream. Naturally, the station would like to see a steady source of income and one way to do this is to appeal to more affluent audience. Some are wary of shows which they fear offend some audiences or appeal exclusively to less affluent and/or narrower audiences.
All this came to a head in the fall of 2010. While it is understandable that people want to keep their jobs and it is the union’s duty to help keep those jobs, the layoffs in 2010 were the consequence of the extraordinary boom and bust cycle of the preceding decade.
KPFA must find a way to continue to raise adequate revenue and produce uncompromised progressive programming.
One lesson from the recent boom and bust cycle is that the station should maintain a paid staffing level that is sustainable over the long term and not subject to economic ups and downs. As always, the most reliable way to keep an even income is to broaden the listener support. This can be best achieved by relentless efforts to produce good programming. Ever improving and relevant programming is bolstered by a strong apprenticeship program and lively, ongoing evaluation of programs. When a new person joins the station, whether a worker or a manager, the old timers must all extend a hand to help the new person become part of the KPFA family.
Pacifica Executive Director Arlene Engelhardt and KPFA Interim General Manager Andrew Phillips and Interim Program Director Carrie Core all deserve our thanks for stepping into a very difficult situation and managing with dignity and generosity.
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Ann Garrison did discuss the Lee campaign election fraud on the weekend evening news at:
The audio is the news report by Ann Garrison on KPFA, 94.1 FM, 10/22/11, 6 p.m. news at
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/10/23/18694626.php (has Ann's audio excerpt and pictures from the video below)
And here is the video:
http://blog.sfgate.com/cityinsider/2011/10/21/witnesses-ed-lee-supporters-mark-others-ballots/?tsp=1
There are also allegations of money-laundering by the Ed Lee campaign, in collaboration with a notorious eviction strongman, Archway Property Services, which terrorized tenants at apartments owned by CitiApartments. Archway asked its employees to contribute $500 each to Lee's campaign, claiming they would be reimbursed.
And the runner up, John Avalos, is just as much an anti-labor supporter of Proposition C, one of the 2 anti-city worker pension destruction propositions that was on the San Francisco November 8, 2011 ballot.
Prop C was supported by the entire Board of Supervisors, of which John Avalos is a member, as well as the labor lieutenants of capitalism, the San Francisco Central Labor Council, and Ed Lee. IT IS A DISASTER FOR CITY WORKERS most of whom have a pension of less than $25,000 a year. Now, many city workers will lose health care and they do not qualify for Healthy San Francisco.
I listen to Democracy Now, the Morning Mix, Flashpoints and the Evening News and I never heard any discussion about the anti-labor horrors of both Propositions C & D.
Instead, on the Evening News on November 8, I heard an interview with Tim Redmond, the editor of the Democratic Party mouthpiece, the San Francisco Bay Guardian, tell us that we are losing the "liberal" Michael Hennessey as sheriff. This is the notorious sheriff who promoted strip searching of everyone, including people arrested on misdemeanors, such as civil disobedience protesters, and putting them in ice cold strip cells overnight. Lawsuits were filed and the city appealed over and over agin. THIS IS ALSO THE SAME SHERIFF who sent a contingent to the Oakland Police Riot of October 25, 2011. None of this was mentioned on the evening news to counter Redmond.
Here is more on Hennesseey's strip search, promoted also by current City Attorney, Dennis Herrera (who also ran for mayor this year):
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/03/27/18583596.php
I hope in next year's presidential campaign, we hear from lots of Green Party and Peace & Freedom Party candidates all year long, just as we now hear from the Democrats all year long.
Aki, Your conclusion would be like the Heritage Foundation saying that the massive deficit that came about during the Bush II regime was due to the boom and bust cycles of the economy during his eight years in office, never mentioning the wars and the massive tax cuts for the 1%.
People that cause problems MUST be held accountable. NO FREE PASSES.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
The mismanagement of KPFA while the KPFAForward, Concerned Listener, SaveKPFA (same group, they changed their name to try to hide their past misdeeds and dirty tricks) were running the station and the collusion of these folks with the Justice and Unity are responsible for the financial problems at KPFA and Pacifica.
Early on at KPFA, 2004-5, they increased the paid staff from 28 to 42 full time equivalents, ignoring warnings from many of us that it was not sustainable. They refused to cut back until all the reserves were gone and then they cry union busting when a new management was left to deal with the red ink and layoffs HAD to happen. Not much different from what the Republicans left for Obama and then blamed him for the dismal economy. Not that Obama has done much to help, this is just an example. And it fits right in with Brian Edwards-Tiekert's infamous statement " how do we make our enemies own the problems that are to come" See
http://peoplesradio.net/Dismantle.htm if this is new to you.
WBAI was allowed to almost die in red ink while Justice and Unity ran the station, while their KPFA allies and a few PNB members around the network looked the other way in return for their local allies to be allowed to do whatever they wanted to do, Pacifica Mission and financial responsibility be damned. In 2009 when a new majority finally took control of the PNB, WBAI was $132,000 behind in its rent and close to a million dollars behind in its contributions to support the network. See the article below, written in 2009 for more detail.
http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2009-05-14/article/32873?headline=The-Pacifica-Financial-Crisis-Who-is-Responsible
And yes the down economy didn't help and it would have been much easier to handle the problems if both KPFA and Pacifica had reserves when the economy went down. The massive Pacifica debt caused by the mismanagement of WBAI, which required greater contributions from the other stations, and the excessive payroll at KPFA, which a responsible management would have resolved many years earlier, leaving KPFA with a reserve, were the real problems that could have been avoided but for the sectarian power grabs.
A final example of the CL/Save KPFA groups failed management was the hiding of the $375,000 check for a year, which caused us to lose interest and control of the money. WHAT KIND OF MANAGEMENT ALLOWS A $375,000 check to sit in a desk for a year?? Maybe some day we will learn what nefarious plan was behind that conversion of KPFA/Pacifica funds?
http://www.savekpfa.org/facts-about-the-kpfa-situation
HISTORY OF LABOR AT KPFA
http://media.kpfaworker.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/kpfalaborhistory1.pdf
LABOR SUPPORT FOR KPFA'S WORKERS
http://www.kpfaworker.org
Things are too complex to go into here. Many from the vast majority of staff members at KPFA who are unpaid have been attending and reporting on the Occupy events. Some of the best reporting from the events has been done by unpaid staff at Apex Express (particularly Oct 13 and I think 2 weeks later), Full Circle, La Raza Chronicles, Sabrina Jacobs and others. Yet you see how Brian Edwards-Tiekert and Mitch Jeseritch have managed to get most of the glory and attention for this. Many of their reports have been good, but so were so many others early on when Brian was gratuitously emphasizing the "confusion" of the occupiers. As usual, they are very quick though at capitalizing on a going concern, and you now see them having effectively edged out many of the excellent stories by others. They are (often, not always) excellent broadcasters I agree, but allowing themselves to be bought by a narrow faction of the wide spectrum that is "the left" means if things are actually going to shift, it is despite these guys, not because of them. Yes, they're on-board now, but just as politicians take the credit for all the massive amount of legwork over decades by others, "squirrel's buddies" really just want, in the end, to make sure the boat doesn't rock so much they might have to feel it. As Robbie Osman says in his excellent article, this inherent conflict-of-interest, even among the "best" paid broadcasters, is why there needs to be an elected board that includes components NOT from this self-interested group. No one WANTed to lay off Aimee Allison! She was the lowest in the UNION seniority list. Though I agree that Aki could have reminded readers of several of the glaring costs the (new) "SaveKPFA" group has imposed on the station and network, the facts he does present are important. Please see also http://www.supportkpfa.org , http://danielborgstrom.com , and http://www.robbie.org .
Some other PAID staff that have done excellent coverage of the occupy events are Davey D on Hardknock Radio and the Morning Mix and some of the Flashpoints folks.