Thanks to the 6820 members (both listeners and staff) who voted Yes to save Pacifica.

We won this referendum by a solid and democratic majority of listeners and staff—despite Pacifica management’s announcement to the contrary.

Vote Yes-New Day Pacifica will work through the various legal and political channels available to us with your support to appeal and reverse this wrong-headed decision which allows those individuals responsible for Pacifica’s financial and organizational crisis to stay in charge at Pacifica. Pacifica needs to immediately recognize the membership’s decision to approve and implement the New Day Pacifica bylaws proposals so we can save Pacifica and all five radio stations, archives and affiliates.

NDP Bylaws Referendum Results

Pacifica is using a “staff veto” theory to justify declaring that Vote Yes lost. Pacifica posits that since the New Day proposals affect the staff, if the staff reject the proposals the vote of the overall membership is irrelevant and the proposals fail. The irony of Pacifica’s management professing concern for the opinion of Pacifica’s staff while overseeing the gutting of Pacifica staff’s benefits should not be lost on anyone. (Pacifica recently eliminated employer-paid family health insurance at KPFK and is planning to gut existing severance language protections to facilitate laying off long-term staff at KPFK.)

Question: is a “staff veto” of bylaws proposals ever permitted under the Pacifica bylaws and California non-profit law?

Yes, but only in the most extreme circumstances where the bylaws proposals would “materially and adversely affect the rights” of the staff “as to voting or transfer in a manner different than” such action affects the listener-members. (See the Pacifica Bylaws, Article 17, sections 1B-3 and 1B-4). The New Day Pacifica proposals do not “materially and adversely” affect Pacifica staff’s rights, so the membership’s majority decision (which includes both listeners and staff) should determine that Vote Yes won the referendum.

Question: doesn’t Pacifica staff support Vote Yes-New Day Pacifica?

Yes! Staff at KPFA, KPFK and KPFT overwhelmingly support Vote Yes-New Day Pacifica to save Pacifica, all five stations, the archives and affiliates. Vote Yes-New Day Pacifica also has some staff support at WBAI and WPFW. However, Pacifica management at WBAI (GM and PD) and WPFW (PD) used their positions at Pacifica management to coerce staff into voting No after they publicly endorsed Vote No this year. Last year WBAI management was even caught ordering staff to produce vote No receipts to prove they were loyal staff members!

Question: so how will New Day appeal/overturn the bylaws decision?

New Day yesterday requested arbitration as per our December 4 agreement with Pacifica to use arbitration to resolve election issues to “avoid litigation and expense to the Pacifica Foundation.” Even given this agreement, Pacifica has already hired another expensive law firm to prepare for a court fight, clearly hoping to bankrupt New Day Pacifica due to court costs.

Donations still essential:

Please donate $5 to $500 for legal costs to ensure the membership’s Vote Yes decision to save Pacifica is respected. We have $10,000 remaining in donations from you, but estimate we need to raise another $40,000 to win in court. Thanks to the more than 800 members who have donated so far to support New Day Pacifica’s efforts to save Pacifica.