The following statements were passed at a Union meeting on January 18, 2001. References to workers and Staff are to Paid and Unpaid Staff at WBAI.

We, as a shop of amalgamated UE Local 404, condemn the recent spate of outrageous violations of the rights of workers at WBAI, which amounts to a flagrant case of Union busting:

  1. The firing & banning of Union Shop Steward Sharan Louise Harper
  2. The bannings of other Staff members
  3. The presence of security guards, including law enforcement personnel, some of whom may be armed
  4. The denial of free access of staff to necessary work spaces
  5. The refusal to promptly return personal property of staff members
  6. Changes in programming without due process
  7. The creation of a hostile work environment for any staff members
  8. Censorship of programming
  9. Denial of access of Local Advisory Board and the listeners to the station for all of its meetings

We call for the immediate reinstatement of all fired and banned staff.

We call upon UE National to provide all necessary aid, including, where needed, legal assistance, and the mobilization of brother & sister unions nationally, to seek emergency redress of these outrageous abuses.

We hereby establish an action committee to design powerful strategies to fully confront these abuses.


We demand that we be allowed to work in an environment free of physical and verbal violence by Management. It is our right to work in an atmosphere that is not hostile, that is free of harassment, intimidation and threats by Management. If Management has issues with staff, the Union has the proper mechanisms to handle any complaints.

We demand an end to Management's arbitrary and unjustified threats of censorship and silencing. We demand that the workplace be free of Management's character assassination, racial slurs, name-calling, false or unproven accusations, innuendoes, slander and physical aggression.

We demand an end to the emotional and economic aggression as evidenced by arbitrary firings and bannings, which additionally serve as a damper to the free speech of the remaining staff. We demand the end of both the tacit and overt support of abusive behavior as has been conducted by Management.



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