WBAI leaflet at "Free the Media" conference
report by R. Paul Martin, Chief Steward. WBAI-FM, New York
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The following is the text of the leaflet handed out on the steps of the Ethical Culture Society building on January 31, when the "Free the Media" conference was being held inside.

I was one of the people handing them out, and beter than 99% of the people going in took a leaflet (Mark Shubb did not take one). Some commented on how they were outraged by Pacifica/WBAI's actions agains the Union. Some who were learning about it all for the first time from the leaflet said they were disillusioned by what WBAI's Management was doing.

For almost ten months the Paid and Unpaid Staff at WBAI-FM have been struggling against WBAI Management in an effort of preserve our Union (UE Local 404) and get a fair Contract. Under orders from the Pacifica Foundation, which owns WBAI, Management has gone to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in an effort to remove the Unpaid Staff, 90% of the Collective Bargaining Unit, from Union protection.

WBAI Management has been using delaying tactics and refusing to bargain. For these reasons the Union has filed Unfair Labor Practice charges with the NLRB against WBAI Management.

Pacifica/WBAI Management has:

• Spent $32,000 of listener-sponsors' money on lawyers to bust the Union, with Pacifica spending an additional $30,000 on a union busting firm
• Demanded that some workers become employees at will, as well as the removal of all Unpaid Staff from the Collective Bargaining Unit
• Demanded givebacks from Paid Staff, despite a 6 figure surplus in FY 1996
• Demanded a "No Strike Clause" which would make an informational picket line, or even the handing out of this leaflet, a reason to fire a worker at what was formerly described as "Free speech radio, WBAI-New York"

Where have the media watchdogs been while Pacifica tries to turn the Pacifica network into mainstream corporate media?