Keep What's Yours
Greetings WBAI Family,
Remember when they fired and locked out the staff, and stole our radio in October 2019? After a month’s court action to beat them back, and a 2020 attempted bylaw replacement that we rejected by more than 2:1, they’re back – under the name “New Day Pacifica” – trying to scare us into giving up our rights.
They can only take what’s ours if we fail to participate. Make them back up by voting “No!”
They’re offering no solution to the organization’s problems. Instead, they’re pushing a second set of bylaw changes to try to get us to vote ourselves out of existence.
Er, Hell No!
The bylaws they propose shred community accountability:
- Change local boards to advisory without the ability to make candidate pools
for General Manager/Program Director hires, or to evaluate management - End members’ ranked choice voting for local board and lets officers choose who can sit on the board; ends guaranteed workplace involvement for staff
On the national board, they would:
- Install 4 unelected, preordained people as officers, automatically excluding
WBAI & WPFW: 3 are California-based and 3 supported the WBAI shutdown - Reduce staff participation by 60%; split staff – segregating the more
numerous unpaid staff and providing them 10% the representation of paid - Add 3 at-large seats making the board a majority appointed body and then
adding insult-to-injury, the board would choose replacements for elected reps
Say, “No”. Loudly!
If you gave $25 or volunteered 3 hours in the year between April 8, 2020 and April 7, 2021, you should’ve gotten an email “ballot” from vote@simplyvoting.com or nes@pacifica.org.
Check your “Spam”, “Junk”, and “Promotions” folders. Or look for PURPLE POSTCARD in the mail with scratch-off information for online voting.
Neither found? Immediately request your ballot. Paper ballots are available, but time for issuance is running out:
If you contributed $50 or more, a second household member can get their own ballot using the same form above.
Voting ENDS July 7, 2021, 11:59 PM ET. More info, here:
and here:
BUILDING A BETTER BOARD
There are problems at our station:
There is no transparency about how programs get on air or how they disappear.
There are communities that are under-represented and important job positions are unfunded to the detriment of membership and growth.
A local board that is connected to established and new communities can correct these things. Samori Marksman brought the first million-dollar fund drive to community radio thereby teaching us that we can meet the mission of serving community and thrive.
When we defeat the “New Day” Bylaws by voting “No”, we’ll be moving into elections for the Local Station Board. Make sure you can vote!
Nominations for half the seats are open until July 14. To vote or run, make sure your membership is current. This does not necessarily mean another donation. The relevant period is July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021. If in doubt, contribute $25 by June 30, or call 212-209-2950. You must actually pay, not just pledge the $25, by June 30.
Remind friends and family that now is the time!
Justice & Unity plans to offer candidates that are active community members with knowledge and skills. We will need your support to form an independent board!
NOTHING BITES LIKE REGRET. ACT NOW!
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN TEXAS?
On Friday June 18, 2021, 7:30pm ET, join Pacifica Fightback for a Pre-Juneteenth Town Hall meeting focusing on our Houston sister station following a massive “temporary” push out of BIPOC:
Stay strong and pay close attention!
In Loving Struggle,
Ralph Poynter & Sharonne Salaam
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