BERKELEY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Union workers will hold an informational picket Saturday morning to protest ongoing labor problems at the KPFA public radio, including the cancellation of the station's popular "Morning Show" and the dismissal of its hosts.
The picket, which coincides with a breakfast for fans and supporters of the station's Former "Morning Show," begins:
10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 12
outside the North Berkeley Senior Center
1901
Hearst Ave (at Martin Luther King Way)
Listener-supported KPFA is part of the Pacifica radio network, known for programs like “Democracy Now!” and “Free Speech Radio News.”
In November, Pacifica Executive Director Arlene Engelhardt removed "The Morning Show" from the air and dismissed its paid hosts, Aimee Allison and Brian Edwards-Tiekert, in violation of the station's union contract. She also refused to allow unpaid staff to continue their normal program segments, according to CWA; in solidarity many unpaid staff have refused to work on Pacifica's replacement programming. The staff bargaining unit, represented by CWA Local 9415, has filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board.
"The money that our listeners pledged to support programs at KPFA is being spent by Pacifica to fight the union that represents the people who make those programs," said Edwards-Tiekert.
Union members are asking management to negotiate in good faith "to make sure the contract is adhered to and our workers' rights are protected," said Antonio Ortiz, a KPFA engineer and CWA member.
Allison, Edwards-Tiekert, news producer Laura Prives, reporter Aileen Alfandary and other special guests will appear Saturday at a "Morning Show" breakfast sponsored by Save KPFA, a listener group that has collected over $60,000 in listener pledges to restore the show and rehire the hosts.
Pacifica has refused to meet and discuss the offer, according to CWA. They also rejected a suggested Sustainable Budget that would have trimmed Pacifica bureaucracy to preserve local programming.
KPFA's Local Station Board meets at 11 a.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center and is scheduled to discuss programming policies and staffing issues.
In 1999, Pacifica drew fire and local protests for attempting to centralize control of content and discussing the sale of KPFA. Local Station Boards were created as a result to help safeguard listener-donors' rights and the public interest.