Current Troubles at KPFA

Of course listeners are sending emails. They don't understand what the heck is going on. How can they when anyone trying to explain anything gets shouted down and one hysterical charge follows another, most of them contradicting each other? You'd think the professional journalists would have some idea how to convey information.

Since they probably do have some idea how to convey information, it's pretty clear the intent is to confuse and panic people.

The question is in whose interests? Hard to believe it is the station.

It seems to me the issue is not that layoffs are necessary. Everyone sane and knowledgeable seems to concede that point. Even the kpfaworker shills have more or less given up asserting that their glue and sticks PDF solves all the financial problems.

So the real issue is *who* gets laid off.

And the rage and the anger and the sense of betrayal reveals that what happened wasn't what was supposed to happen. And what always, with no exceptions, has happened at KPFA. Which is that layoffs, program changes, cancellations, lack of access to opportunities and perks, lack of meaningful input into anything, always affect some of the population of people who work at the station - and not others.

This injustice is sometimes obvious and sometimes subtle, but it is always there and it has poisoned the atmosphere for a long time, creating the famously toxic working environment that spawns an endless series of lawsuits, confrontations and other disturbing incidents.

A union should stand for fair and equitable behavior and stop this kind of divide and conquer insanity, but in this case, sadly it doesn't. It will go to the mat for Brian Edwards-Tiekert and not blink an eye for Nora Barrows-Friedman, who incidentally is the stronger reporter of the two.

These layoffs, modest as they are, happened in the way nothing ever goes down at KPFA. Fairly. In reasonably close accordance with the seniority chart, instead of directed at the same eternal 4 targets, Hard Knock Radio, Flashpoints, the Apprenticeship program and the organized unpaid staff.

There are no other targets. No KPFA manager in a decade has dared to take any negative action against anyone else but the designated targets. Because *this* is what happens.

Pacifica is daring to be fair.

If you care about the station, let it heal. Keep supporting it and it will be fine and maybe much better than before. There is lots of talent there that can do excellent work.

KPFA needs fairness and it needs justice.

That is the way to peace.