Management's proposals also include plans to designate some paidstaff workers as vulnerable to being discharged without justcause, even though "employment-at-will" has been denounced onWBAI's air waves for decades. Also included are management'sdemands for a "No Strike Clause" which would prohibit eveninformational picket lines at what was formerly described as"Free speech radio, WBAI-New York." Union shop stewards would beobligated to help management stop any job actions by workers,and violators would be subject to discharge. Such clauses havebeen denounced on WBAI's air in the past.

At a meeting on April 30, WBAI management admitted that thedemands for removal of unpaid staff from the CollectiveBargaining Unit, and other provisions, were made under ordersfrom Pat Scott, executive director of the Pacifica Foundation, aCalifornia-based non-profit organization which owns the licenseto WBAI. The Pacifica Foundation has been firing workers, bothpaid and unpaid, at KPFK (Los Angeles, CA) and KPFA (Berkeley,CA) who are involved in the unions. The paid and unpaid staff atWBAI are united in resisting this obvious attempt to bust theunion at WBAI.

A Watering Down of WBAI's Commitment?

WBAI is part of amalgamated Local 404 of the United Electrical,Radio, and Machine Workers of America (U.E.). Pacifica and WBAImanagement are represented by Valerie Van Isler, general managerof WBAI, and management's lawyer, Melvin Wuff, of the law firmBeldock, Levine & Hoffman. Among the management's other demandsare:

Elimination of the fair hiringprocedures currently in effect.

Reduction of vacation times for all paidstaff.

Reduction of the number ofpaid holidays.

Re-writing of thegrievance procedure by management's lawyer to put unfair timelimits on grievance filings. WBAI management is notorious forillegally delaying the current grievance procedure and thoseprovisions would allow them to essentially deny the grievanceprocess to all workers. Management's unnecessarily complexgrievance procedure would require a lawyer to understand it.There are currently about a dozen grievances outstanding againstWBAI management.

Institution of a new class of "temporaryworker" who would not be covered by the contract; there would beno limits to how long such "temporary workers" would be allowedto occupy positions at WBAI.

A watering down of WBAI's non-discriminationcommitment, including the removal of the agreement not todiscriminate on the basis of veteran status.

Increasing the probationary period of newemployees from the current three months to 130days.

Watering down of health and safetyprovisions.

Requiring that employees pay all medicalpremiums above an unspecified monthly limit. Employees arecurrently provided medical and dental insurance without havingto pay premiums.

Reduction of transportation reimbursement.Pacifica rules prohibit the mention or discussion of any issuesrelated to Pacifica or any Pacifica station, including WBAI, ifmanagement does not like the subject matter involved. When aprogrammer at KPFK read a newspaper article on the problemsfaced by workers at that station, he was removed from the airand permanently banned from the station.

We believe decisions about ourstations should be made by the representatives of all thecommunities that have a stake in Pacifica, and should occur inan open, accountable, community-oriented process . . . somethingnow lacking at Pacifica.