UE LOCALS RESIST UNIONBUSTING AT THREE PACIFICA STATIONS UE locals on both coasts are resisting attempts by the Pacifica Foundation to undermine their unions and compromise the quality of programming at radio stations in New York City, Berkeley and Los Angeles. As Congress cuts back federal support for public broadcasting, Pacifica appears to be adopting a corporate model and "rationalizing" operating procedures. At KPFA in Berkeley, UE local 1412 members earlier this year asked for a one-year extension of the expiring contract. Management refused, attempted to terminate the agreement and hired a profssional unionbuster to handle negotiations. The Pacifica Foundation's executive director contracted with a second management consultant to draft a contract that would be the basis for management's relationship with Pacifica's employees at all three unionized stations. "The first article of this contract, the recognition clause, would virtually decertify the KPFA union since it excludes from union membership all supervisors, all on-air personnel, including producers and volunteer workers. That clause alone would wipe out all but a handful of our union," local 1412 says. UE members, who raise funds for the stations in appeals that stress Pacifica's committment to social justice, strongly object to having those same funds pay for unionbusters. Local 404 members at WBAI in New York are also resisting attempts to eliminate the station's fair hiring procedures, reduce vacation time and holidays, raise medical insurance costs and rewrite the grievance procedure. "Also included are management's demands for a 'no strike clause' which would prohibit even informational picket lines at what was formerly described as 'free speech radio,'" say Local 404 stewards. Local 1421 members at KPFK in Los Angeles have beeen facing similar attacks. Their contract expired in 1991; UE members have been trying to negotiate ever since. They took a pay cut in 1994 and have not had a wage increase since, due largely to management failures at KPFK. Yet UE members have continued to produce the progressive programs that gain listener support for the Pacifica stations. Local 1421 members are asking for the support of all UE locals in their struggle. UE locals are asked to write, call or fax one or all of the Pacifica Foundation officials and ask them to separate themselves from all ties to the American Consulting Group, the management consultants, and negotiate a fair and equitable contract with UE local 1421, and the other UE locals. Contact: Jack O'Dell, Chairman, Pacifica Foundation, 702 H St. NW, Washington, DC 20001: telephone 202-783-3100, facsimile 202-737-3723: Ms. Pat Scott, Executive Director, Pacifica Foundation, 1929 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Berkeley, CA 94704; telephone 510-843-0130, facsimile 510-845-0289; Mark Schubb, Station Manager, KPFK. 3729 Cahuenga Blvd West, North Hollywood, CA 91604 telephone 818-985-2711, facsimile 818-763-7526