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ED Announces Start of Historic Elections
September 25, 2003
Dear Pacifica Paid and Unpaid Staff,
It's official -- Pacifica has new bylaws, and we are
moving forward with elections to create the first democratically-run
national media organization in the country.
The building blocks of this historic process are a newly
elected Local Station Board in each Pacifica listening area
and a new national board of directors for the Pacifica Foundation.
And you can run for posts on those new boards.
There are actually two parallel elections at each of the
five Pacifica stations -- one for the 18 listener-seats on
the new Local Station Board, and a separate election among
staff for the six staff-seats on the new board. The new elected
station board at each of Pacifica's five stations will
then elect a new national board of directors.
The nomination period for staff interested in running for
one of the six staff Delegate seats on the new Local Station
Board has opened. You will be able to get information and
petition forms from the station, or on-line at the Pacifica
elections mainpage Pacifica.org/elections.
To be a candidate for one of the six staff-seats at your
station you must submit a petition with signatures from at
least five (5) eligible staff.
For the purposes of these elections the bylaws define staff
who may vote or be candidates this way:
- Paid Staff: Any non-management full-time or part-time
paid employee of a Foundation radio station.
- Unpaid Staff: Any member of a Foundation radio station
"Unpaid Staff Organization" or "Unpaid Staff
Collective Bargaining Unit" which has been recognized
by station management, or, if the station has neither such
organization or bargaining unit, then any volunteer or unpaid
staff member of a Foundation radio station who has worked
for said radio station at least 30 hours in the preceding
three months, exclusive of fundraising marathon telephone
room volunteer time and volunteer work on committees of
a Local Station Board.
There are other forms and candidate statements you would
need to submit as well. To get the petition and other necessary
forms and information contact your local station or visit
on-line Pacifica.org/elections.
As part of the election process the new bylaws require all
staff -- paid and unpaid -- to sign a statement that they
have read and understand the Fair Campaign provisions. They
require that all candidates for the listener seats on the
new board receive equal treatment, with no on-air or web site
endorsements from staff. A copy of the fair campaign provisions
for you to read and sign is on the mainpage at Pacifica.org/elections.
The election method is significantly different (and more
democratic) than many of us are used to. A method of proportional
representation is being used rather than a winner-take-all
method. A brief explanation of the voting method is posted
on the mainpage at Pacifica.org/elections.
The exact schedule for the election is still uncertain,
pending a ruling from the court, but the election process
has commenced, and you should consider whether you want to
be a candidate. More information about all of this, including
a list of frequently asked questions will be going up on web
sites around the Pacifica system soon.
Best regards,
Dan Coughlin
Executive Director
Pacifica Foundation
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