Who Actually Saved KPFA?

Between 2001 and 2006, there was a dramatic increase in listener support due to the expanding economy and interest in the Iraq-Afghan War. KPFA added many paid staff during this same period; however between 2007 and 2010 listener support declined dramatically just as the subprime housing bubble burst.

Payments to Pacifica were reduced to reflect the decline in listener support and Pacifica had major layoffs, but KPFA management did not make any cuts to salaries and benefits even as listener support declined between 2007 and 2010.

It is understandable that management would be reluctant to lay people off, but in 2008 the station went into deficit spending and was in danger of bankruptcy. So, finally the Pacifica Foundation, which is responsible for the network of five stations, stepped in and made cuts in staffing.

Instead of acknowledging Pacifica carried out the thankless but necessary task of cutting expenses, some of the paid staff affiliated with the Communication Workers of America (CWA) claimed layoffs were not necessary and they were union busting by Pacifica. Brian Edwards-Tiekert, among others, alarmed many paid staff by claiming there was a hit list of people to be laid off.

What Pacifica did was to offer voluntary severance to all employees. Seven people took the deal, and in the end, two people were laid off, Aimee Allison and Brian Edwards-Tiekert. The layoffs followed the union contract which says: “In cases where skill, ability, knowledge and job performance are all equal, or could be equal in the opinion of the Employer after reasonable orientation and training, seniority shall prevail”. Edwards-Tiekert was informed of his bumping rights.

But CWA claimed the layoffs violated the terms of the union contract and filed three grievances with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and asked for an arbiter to rule on reinstating Brian and Aimee to the Morning Show. These claims led many labor supporters to voice solidarity with the CWA.

Over the next several months, two anonymous websites, SaveKPFA and KPFAworker, waged a campaign to vilify Pacifica Executive Director, Arlene Engelhardt. Board member, Matt Hallinan wrote in the Berkeley Daily Planet that “Arlene Engelhardt seized all power at KPFA.” Board member, Pamela Drake, posted on the web, “Arlene-Engelhardt-Walker and her austerity budget, but has she taken a pay cut?” “Austerity, austerity, austerity, Engelhardt takes lessons from Gov. Walker. Shame, shame. She is killing the station as every staffing cut they make seems to reduce income while she takes more for the Pacifica bureaucracy. Shame.” Board member, Mal Burnstein, posted on the web, “From what we are hearing so far, the new IGM is sounding like a fig leaf over Arlene's exposed genitals.”

In February, before the arbiter could rule on the reinstatement, Edwards-Tiekert exercised his bumping rights and returned as a P/T news reporter. In April, the NLRB issued an advice memo dismissing one of the three CWA grievances and CWA then withdrew the two remaining grievances. In July, the arbiter ruled against Allison’s reinstatement.

Pacifica was vindicated on all counts on the labor issues.

The people who tried to vilify Arlene Engelhardt are now trying to recall Tracy Rosenberg from the local station board. They claim she destroyed KPFA’s most popular local program, The Morning Show, undermined KPFA’s fundraising, attacked the station’s union, misappropriated subscribers’ emails

What Tracy did was observe KPFA was on a path to a fiscal train wreck and prevail on Pacifica management to intervene. She also tried to help publicize the new Morning Mix show. Both actions served the interest of KPFA and the Foundation.

KPFA has a solid line up of Al-Jazeera English at 6am, Democracy Now at the prime commute time of 7am, and Morning Mix at 8am, staffed by both paid and unpaid staff who stepped up during these financially difficult times. Most importantly, the station is on the road back to financial stability.

Arlene Engelhardt and Tracy Rosenberg both helped save KPFA.