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CF coordinating commitee message to WBAI
listeners and the national board
11-5-01


On November 5, the Coordinating Committee of Concerned Friends of WBAI unanimously adopted the following resolutions, one directed to the listener community, the other to the dissident members of the Pacifica National Board. (Very similar resolutions were adopted on November 7 by the WBAI Local Advisory Board.)

We are forwarding these resolutions to free-Pacifica groups around the country, and encourage other groups to sign on or submit their own resolutions quickly -- time is short before the Nov. 17-18 PNB meeting. We hope to discuss these matters, and follow-up strategy, in more detail at a national activist meeting in DC immediately following the PNB meeting.

And of course we (along with the Pacifica Campaign and local groups in DC and elsewhere) are pressing full speed ahead with plans for an entire weekend of educational and protest activities in Washington from Nov. 16-18. In fact, we're not waiting for next week to demonstrate -- this Fri., Nov. 9, we're part of a broad anti-WTO coalition that, as part of a march/tour of corporate shame in Manhattan, will stop at the offices of Epstein Becker & Green, demanding the resignation of John Murdock from the PNB.

We are also forwarding this email to all the members of the the PNB, as well as to all the plaintiffs.

Bob Lederer
Concerned Friends of WBAI Coordinating Committee
ledererbob@usa.net

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Motion #1:

The Coordinating Commmittee of Concerned Friends of WBAI recommends that WBAI listeners continue to boycott any fund drives until:

1) Pacifica makes full disclosure of its financial status, including all debts and obligations.

2) All fired, banned and suspended producers and staff at WBAI are brought back.

3) The strike by Pacifica Network News stringers is settled on terms agreed to by strikers.

4) The gag rule is revoked throughout the network.

5) Utrice Leid is removed as National Programming Director.

6) Robert Daughtry is removed as WBAI General Manager.

7) The right of unpaid staff to be considered workers and included in collective bargaining agreements is recognized by Pacifica.

8) The Pacifica National Board amends the by-laws to prohibit the sale of any station.

The Coordinating Committee will also consult with free-Pacifica activist groups around the country who have supported the boycott to discuss: a) the possible establishment of some form of escrow fund; and b) the conditions under which we would all call for an end to the national boycott.

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Motion #2:

The Coordinating Commitee of Concerned Friends of WBAI calls on the dissident members of the Pacifica National Board to sponsor the following resolutions at the Nov. 17-18 meeting:

1) Provide full disclosure of Pacifica's financial status, including all debts and obligations.

2) Bring back all fired, banned and suspended producers and staff at WBAI.

3) Settle the strike by Pacifica Network News stringers on terms agreed to by the strikers.

4) Revoke the gag rule throughout the network.

5) Immediately remove Utrice Leid as National Programming Director.

6) Immediately remove Robert Daughtry as WBAI General Manager, and work with the WBAI LAB and staff to institute a broad-based, participatory search committee to choose a new manager or management team for that station.

7) Recognize the right of unpaid Pacifica and local station staff to be considered workers and be included in collective bargaining agreements.

8) Amend the Pacifica by-laws to prohibit the sale of any station.

9) Move the Pacifica national office back to Berkeley.

10) Institute a democratic process jointly with Local Advisory Boards (LABs) and the listener communities, including town meetings with National Board members in attendance, to bring forth specific ideas about the current policies and future structure of Pacifica.

11) Call for each LAB to develop a plan for democratic participation in Pacifica's governance, including elections of LAB's by listeners and paid and unpaid staff.

12) Begin a process of providing Pacifica affiliates with a voice on the Pacifica National Board.

In addition, we call on the dissident Board members to immediately seek to move the Nov. 17-18 meeting to New York City, since that was the original venue and is long overdue in the rotation of these meetings.


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