Comments on: Broadcasting Board of Governors Rated Worst Than Ever By Its Employees and As One of The Worst Federal Agencies http://www.bloggernews.net/119414 High-quality English language analysis and editorial writing on the news. Mon, 23 Nov 2009 04:21:42 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Lev Roitman http://www.bloggernews.net/119414#comment-909647 Lev Roitman Sun, 18 Jan 2009 12:27:54 +0000 http://www.bloggernews.net/119414#comment-909647 According to the “United States International Broadcasting Act of 1994”, BBG serves as the exclusive Board of Directors for the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), its subordinate organization. BBG, farther, “shall make all major policy determinations governing the operations of RFE/RL”. Thus, BBG is in charge and responsible for RFE/RL’s personnel policies. An “Open Letter to Freedom of Press and Human Rights Organizations” titled “Actions of RFE/RL Betray Its Ideals. American Radio Discriminates Non-American Employees” by former RFE/RL editor Anna Karapetian was delivered on January 16th to some thirty addressees. Excerpts: “At Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty headquarters the non-American employees, mainly broadcasters and editors, are as unprotected against arbitrary decisions and discrimination as their colleagues in the countries to which the Radio broadcasts… They are harassed and left without means of livelihood and work prospects by arbitrary separations from the Radio.” “Signing in Prague a standardized Employment Agreement “governed by the applicable laws of the United States, the laws of the District of Columbia or the Policies of the Company”, the non-American journalists trustfully and proudly placed themselves under the protective hand of RFE/RL, a beacon of human rights.” “The personnel ‘philosophy’ of RFE/RL, the so called “employment at-will” doctrine unknown outside U.S., permits the Radios, as is written in RFE/RL ‘Policy’, to fire its employees ‘at any time, for any reason or without reason’. In America itself, this doctrine that has its roots in the age of slavery, is nick-named the ‘employment-at-whim’.” “Only after landing on the streets of Prague, RFE/RL non-American employees learn that from 1991 the foreigners working for an American employer abroad are expressly, specifically exempt from the protection provided to Americans by Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and that Federal Civil Rights Act is not applicable to them. The 1977 District of Columbia Human Rights Act, being subordinate to U.S. federal legislation, also excludes them from protection… The management of RFE/RL perfectly knows that and intentionally gives the non-American employees agreements discriminating against them from the first day of employment.” The question is: Who is going to support the RFE/RL journalists working in legal vacuum in Prague? Scandalous court cases caused by RFE/RL double standards are moving ever higher: now to the Czech Supreme Court, Constitutional Court, and the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. RFE/RL is accused of violations of its foreign employees’ labor, civil and human rights (national equality)… to the detriment of RFE/RL’s public mission and invaluable historical reputation.” “ ‘We have as RFE/RL our intellectual and moral compass… We also need to lead by example…’, said President of RFE/RL in one of his frequent interviews. By speaking out, you might help him to be true to his words – for the sake of RFE/RL and trustworthiness of its multilingual voices.” Just to fantasize, what would be the rate of positive/negative responses by RFE/RL employees to the question asked of their BBG colleagues: “How satisfied are you with the policies and practices of your senior leaders?” Or how many of them would volunteer to “recommend my organization as a good place of work”? Or will any RFE/RL employee to give a negative answer under his/her own name and be subjected to RFE/RL personnel “philosophy”? According to the “United States International Broadcasting Act of 1994”, BBG serves as the exclusive Board of Directors for the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), its subordinate organization. BBG, farther, “shall make all major policy determinations governing the operations of RFE/RL”. Thus, BBG is in charge and responsible for RFE/RL’s personnel policies. An “Open Letter to Freedom of Press and Human Rights Organizations” titled “Actions of RFE/RL Betray Its Ideals. American Radio Discriminates Non-American Employees” by former RFE/RL editor Anna Karapetian was delivered on January 16th to some thirty addressees. Excerpts:

“At Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty headquarters the non-American employees, mainly broadcasters and editors, are as unprotected against arbitrary decisions and discrimination as their colleagues in the countries to which the Radio broadcasts… They are harassed and left without means of livelihood and work prospects by arbitrary separations from the Radio.”
“Signing in Prague a standardized Employment Agreement “governed by the applicable laws of the United States, the laws of the District of Columbia or the Policies of the Company”, the non-American journalists trustfully and proudly placed themselves under the protective hand of RFE/RL, a beacon of human rights.”
“The personnel ‘philosophy’ of RFE/RL, the so called “employment at-will” doctrine unknown outside U.S., permits the Radios, as is written in RFE/RL ‘Policy’, to fire its employees ‘at any time, for any reason or without reason’. In America itself, this doctrine that has its roots in the age of slavery, is nick-named the ‘employment-at-whim’.”
“Only after landing on the streets of Prague, RFE/RL non-American employees learn that from 1991 the foreigners working for an American employer abroad are expressly, specifically exempt from the protection provided to Americans by Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and that Federal Civil Rights Act is not applicable to them. The 1977 District of Columbia Human Rights Act, being subordinate to U.S. federal legislation, also excludes them from protection… The management of RFE/RL perfectly knows that and intentionally gives the non-American employees agreements discriminating against them from the first day of employment.”
The question is: Who is going to support the RFE/RL journalists working in legal vacuum in Prague? Scandalous court cases caused by RFE/RL double standards are moving ever higher: now to the Czech Supreme Court, Constitutional Court, and the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. RFE/RL is accused of violations of its foreign employees’ labor, civil and human rights (national equality)… to the detriment of RFE/RL’s public mission and invaluable historical reputation.”
“ ‘We have as RFE/RL our intellectual and moral compass… We also need to lead by example…’, said President of RFE/RL in one of his frequent interviews. By speaking out, you might help him to be true to his words – for the sake of RFE/RL and trustworthiness of its multilingual voices.”

Just to fantasize, what would be the rate of positive/negative responses by RFE/RL employees to the question asked of their BBG colleagues: “How satisfied are you with the policies and practices of your senior leaders?” Or how many of them would volunteer to “recommend my organization as a good place of work”? Or will any RFE/RL employee to give a negative answer under his/her own name and be subjected to RFE/RL personnel “philosophy”?

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