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KPFA listeners, workers picket Pacifica on national day of action for labor

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April 4th’s national day of action in support of labor began in the bay area with KPFA staff and listeners outside the offices of parent organization Pacifica. They were protesting the actions of Pacifica’s executive director Arlene Engelhardt, whose campaign against KPFA’s workers has repeatedly violated the station’s union contract. Engelhardt killed the station’s popular Morning Show last November, and has spent over $30,000 of listeners’ money on an anti-union law firm, Folger Levin at the rate of $400 an hour.

News anchor John Hamilton speaks, steward Antonio Ortiz in background.

News anchor John Hamilton spoke to the crowd, describing how his job was saved after  coworkers donated their hours in an act of solidarity to keep him employed. (Hamilton’s annual salary is less than what KPFA has paid for three months union-busting lawyers.)

Micky Mayzes, director of KPFA First Voice Apprenticeship

Micky Mayzes, director of the KPFA First Voice Apprenticeship Program, spoke about how Pacifica was founded to raise money for KPFA, the original station in the Pacifica network. Yet now, she pointed out, KPFA and the other stations in the network pay “tribute” to Pacifica of 20% of their income, while the network raises little or nothing for the station.

Former Pacifica national affairs correspondent Larry Bensky spoke to picketers about the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr, who was assassinated on April 4th while supporting striking union sanitation workers in Memphis, and the irony of Pacifica spending money to fight KPFA’s union workers, when they should be spending that money on programming marking Martin Luther King’s legacy.

Larry Bensky speaks to picketers
Larry Bensky speaks to picketers

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Photo set 3 (KPFA workers at Oakland’s demo)

KPFA staff to picket Pacifica on April 4, as part of National Day of Action

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KPFA’s workers are inviting listeners to join them for an informational picket on MONDAY, APRIL 4 from 7:30-8:30 AM at Pacifica’s offices, 1925 MLK Jr Way in Berkeley. April 4 is a national day of action to defend unions and bargaining rights.

KPFA’s community is concerned that over $30,000 of the station’s funds have been spent on anti-union lawyers. Pacifica still refuses to enter mediation, even after multiple resolutions by the cities of Berkeley and San Francisco, dozens of elected officials, and three labor councils.

Pacifica’s layoff of news anchor John Hamilton was averted yesterday at the last minute. Five union workers presented a plan to reduce their time by 22 hours a week and donate them so Hamilton could stay at his part-time job at no cost to KPFA except for his benefits. | MORE

NEWS CLIPS: Philip Maldari on KPFA at Berkeley Citizens Action meeting | KPFA’s LSB Show includes updates on KPFA finances, outreach, legal matters | A short labor history of KPFA

Pacifica manager’s anti-worker comments; AIDS denier being considered for KPFA show

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Workers at some of Pacifica’s stations have been speaking out about what they say is censorship, including political journalist Bill Weinberg of New York City’s WBAI. Weinberg’s show was taken off the air by WBAI’s interim general manager Tony Bates, who has removed or marginalized dozens of other programs, including left economist Doug Henwood‘s Behind the News.

Postings by Bates on his Facebook page this week display an alarming anti-worker bias. (Bates wrote as “Tony Beezy” to KPFK staffer Zuberi Fields).

“The Pacifica network should not tolerate this sort of behavior from any manager,” said Margy Wilkinson, chair of KPFA’s local board. “Arlene Engelhardt is this guy’s boss, and she needs to take strong action immediately.”

Meanwhile, over strenuous objections from AIDS activists and physicians, Bates also replaced some of WBAI’s local programming with a show by vitamin salesman Gary Null, who denies that AIDS is caused by a virus. Null openly markets his own products on the air, including one so badly formulated that, by his own account, it nearly killed him.

Critics say such programming is downright dangerous  to the millions who live with HIV and AIDS, as well as other health conditions, and could put Pacifica in legal jeopardy. On World AIDS Day last December, bay area activists protested Null’s show outside of Pacifica’s Berkeley offices. | KPFA News report on Null protest

Pacifica executive director Arlene Engelhardt and newly-appointed KPFA interim general manager Andrew Phillips are currently considering bringing Null’s program to KPFA.

Outraged? Let them know by writing KPFA here, or by calling Engelhardt at 510-402-9880 and Phillips at 510-848-6767 ext. 203. Or if you prefer, you can use SaveKPFA’s write Pacifica page and we’ll forward your email to boards and managers.