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Pacifica Radio National Headquarters Occupied
At the national headquarters of Pacifica Radio, the nation's oldest listener-sponsored radio network and the owner of 5 radio licenses, KPFK in Los Angeles, KPFA in Berkeley, WPFW in Washington DC, KPFT in Houston and WBAI in New York, a late-night board coup to remove the CEO seems to have backfired.
The small office was entered this morning by 4 national employees and the executive director, who removed a padlock installed the previous day, and informed staffers that business would continue as usual. The executive director cited possession of a duly-executed contract and referred to the late-night secretive board action as being illegitimate. The contract signed by board secretary Richard Uzzell required a work performance evaluation and cited what cause for termination would be. According to 10 current members of the board of directors, no work performance evaluation had been performed and no reason was provided for the attempted firing or has been to date.
Meanwhile rumors have been flying around the country that a small segment of the board has been in negotiations with an entity associated with Comcast news channel MS-NBC to take over WBAI's license, an ironic state of affairs for a network that has long accused the corporate media of “banging the drums for war”. At the moment, it is impossible to verify one way or the other.
On the morning of the attempted firing, it is reported that Berkeley station KPFA next door had refused to turn over its financial records for an annual audit and the books had not been reconciled for up to a year. The 2013 board treasurer had identified $70,000 to $80,000 in missing event income as early as August of 2013, but was unable to receive a clear answer as to the problem, which was dismissed by KPFA staff and the KPFA local station board as a “data entry backlog”.
At the moment, there appear to be about a dozen listeners observing the situation at the office and the disputed board chair who had declared herself the interim executive director Thursday night is sitting on the first floor with her husband as the national employees proceed with their jobs.
Meanwhile rumors have been flying around the country that a small segment of the board has been in negotiations with an entity associated with Comcast news channel MS-NBC to take over WBAI's license, an ironic state of affairs for a network that has long accused the corporate media of “banging the drums for war”. At the moment, it is impossible to verify one way or the other.
On the morning of the attempted firing, it is reported that Berkeley station KPFA next door had refused to turn over its financial records for an annual audit and the books had not been reconciled for up to a year. The 2013 board treasurer had identified $70,000 to $80,000 in missing event income as early as August of 2013, but was unable to receive a clear answer as to the problem, which was dismissed by KPFA staff and the KPFA local station board as a “data entry backlog”.
At the moment, there appear to be about a dozen listeners observing the situation at the office and the disputed board chair who had declared herself the interim executive director Thursday night is sitting on the first floor with her husband as the national employees proceed with their jobs.
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Reese was seen and heard ranting Bible passages, and her elderly mother blocked the front door, proclaiming that they were 'committed Christians'.
If she was terminated by the board, then it would legally have to be "secretive". Personnel matters are always confidential to avoid lawsuits.
And don't the by-laws require the members to vote to sell off station or license? Yeah, they sure do.
If she was terminated by the board, then it would legally have to be "secretive". Personnel matters are always confidential to avoid lawsuits.
And don't the by-laws require the members to vote to sell off station or license? Yeah, they sure do.
The government operation of which Margy Wilkinson is a part, and a leader, now has its propaganda liar on this website, Old Lib, who is most likely the infamous CIA agent, Larry Bensky, a former KPFA programmer. For an expose of Larry Bensky, see:
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2014/03/17/18752719.php#18752792
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2014/03/17/18752719.php#18752792
For more information:
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2014/03/1...
Keeping personnel matters "confidential' does not mean that Pacifica Boards or committees are allowed to disregard the law, the CWA contract, or written Pacifica policy regarding hiring and termination.
Last year I spent several hours talking to the Pacifica Network's insurance investigator and provided documentation regarding a KPFA hiring committee that I sat on which made its decision in ignorance of California law, in ignorance of the Communication Workers of America (CWA) labor contract, and in ignorance of Pacifica policy. In so doing, it left the station with a still unsettled, potentially large legal liability, and the General Manager at the time refused to reconvene the committee for the single afternoon it would have taken to keep that from happening.
I'm still trying to understand how this attempt to terminate Summer Reese came down, but it looks to me like more of the same reckless and potentially costly behavior, without notice to the Pacifica National Board, without discussion by the Board or anyone else concerned, and without regard to Summer's contract, with includes a termination clause naming three justifications for termination, and stipulates a process, beginning with a letter from the Board about how they feel her performance is falling short of her obligations.
This mess could be avoided if the Bpard and local managers were to establish and respect written policy and procedures regarding hiring and termination and consult an HR pro every time either is considered. The cost would, in the long run, be far less than all the legal costs and the astronomically high cost of insuring Pacifica against legal liability.
Last year I spent several hours talking to the Pacifica Network's insurance investigator and provided documentation regarding a KPFA hiring committee that I sat on which made its decision in ignorance of California law, in ignorance of the Communication Workers of America (CWA) labor contract, and in ignorance of Pacifica policy. In so doing, it left the station with a still unsettled, potentially large legal liability, and the General Manager at the time refused to reconvene the committee for the single afternoon it would have taken to keep that from happening.
I'm still trying to understand how this attempt to terminate Summer Reese came down, but it looks to me like more of the same reckless and potentially costly behavior, without notice to the Pacifica National Board, without discussion by the Board or anyone else concerned, and without regard to Summer's contract, with includes a termination clause naming three justifications for termination, and stipulates a process, beginning with a letter from the Board about how they feel her performance is falling short of her obligations.
This mess could be avoided if the Bpard and local managers were to establish and respect written policy and procedures regarding hiring and termination and consult an HR pro every time either is considered. The cost would, in the long run, be far less than all the legal costs and the astronomically high cost of insuring Pacifica against legal liability.
For more information:
http://www.anngarrison.com/
Confidentiality can only be lifted if the employee allows it. That's California law. There is a vast difference between a hired management and a contract executive, so your committee experience is really not relevant.
What it appears to be is a 'bait and switch'; the contract that she signed may have been substituted from the one that the board had originally approved, with some of the terms of the 'new' contract appearing to have been added in by a 'lame duck' on the very last day of last board's authority. That would be sufficient reason to legitimately void the contract and substitute the one which the board actually approved.
But we won't know for sure until A) she goes to court, or B) she lifts confidentiality; in either case, the truth will come out.
Her actions speak of someone who is trying to bluff her way out of a bad situation, because she knows that she isn't going to win in either case. It also speaks to the danger of letting someone that desperate have access to the Pacifica business and legal records, let alone the names and addresses of those she considers "enemies" working against her.
What it appears to be is a 'bait and switch'; the contract that she signed may have been substituted from the one that the board had originally approved, with some of the terms of the 'new' contract appearing to have been added in by a 'lame duck' on the very last day of last board's authority. That would be sufficient reason to legitimately void the contract and substitute the one which the board actually approved.
But we won't know for sure until A) she goes to court, or B) she lifts confidentiality; in either case, the truth will come out.
Her actions speak of someone who is trying to bluff her way out of a bad situation, because she knows that she isn't going to win in either case. It also speaks to the danger of letting someone that desperate have access to the Pacifica business and legal records, let alone the names and addresses of those she considers "enemies" working against her.
First, "Old Lib," it would be so nice if you were willing to use your own name as I have here. We might as well be honest about who we are and how we differ, and trust that we all care about Pacifica/KPFA.
I did not claim to be an expert on the law, but I cannot imagine that "confidentiality" is a license to disregard or break the law. Indeed, no one who served on that hiring committee was a lawyer or expert on the law. Had we been, we would not have made the mistakes we made or created the legal liability. Once I realized the mistakes and informed the General Manager, he could have prevented creation of the liability by simply asking us to revisit the decision.
This is the only Pacifica hiring or termination process that I have firsthand experience of, but naturally enough, it makes me inclined to believe that the PNB may have acted with similar disregard for the law, consciously or not.
I did not claim to be an expert on the law, but I cannot imagine that "confidentiality" is a license to disregard or break the law. Indeed, no one who served on that hiring committee was a lawyer or expert on the law. Had we been, we would not have made the mistakes we made or created the legal liability. Once I realized the mistakes and informed the General Manager, he could have prevented creation of the liability by simply asking us to revisit the decision.
This is the only Pacifica hiring or termination process that I have firsthand experience of, but naturally enough, it makes me inclined to believe that the PNB may have acted with similar disregard for the law, consciously or not.
For more information:
http://www.anngarrison.com/
With all due (dis ) respect for Bensky he probably isn't ''Old LIb''. ''Old Lib'' has been widely suspected to be Mark Hernandez , who represented KFCF the Fresno affiliate on the KPFA station board.
''Lib'' probably doesn't stand for Liberal but instead for Libertarian . which Hernandez openly considers himself to be .
In line with that Hernandez has repeatly called for KPFA and Pacifica to drop any ''left'' orientation and to welcome and give equal access to right wing guests and programmers.
One of the many contradictions of the motley crew currently called '' Save KPFA '' is that even though many of them are former supporters of the CPUSA they have welcomed the staunch Anti Communist Hernandez to their ranks .
But then on their ''left''flank they have Sasha LIlly and her husband Ramsey Canaan , owner of PM Press.
They consider themselves to be ''anarchists'' though they apparently have no problem being allied with the Wellstone Democratic Club who dominate the ''Save KPFA ''crew.
These are the people who want to run our network !
''Lib'' probably doesn't stand for Liberal but instead for Libertarian . which Hernandez openly considers himself to be .
In line with that Hernandez has repeatly called for KPFA and Pacifica to drop any ''left'' orientation and to welcome and give equal access to right wing guests and programmers.
One of the many contradictions of the motley crew currently called '' Save KPFA '' is that even though many of them are former supporters of the CPUSA they have welcomed the staunch Anti Communist Hernandez to their ranks .
But then on their ''left''flank they have Sasha LIlly and her husband Ramsey Canaan , owner of PM Press.
They consider themselves to be ''anarchists'' though they apparently have no problem being allied with the Wellstone Democratic Club who dominate the ''Save KPFA ''crew.
These are the people who want to run our network !
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