[Imc-uk-process] Process or inability to process
Joseph Eisenschmidt
relayer at riseup.net
Tue Mar 23 07:47:17 PST 2004
Tony,
I share your concerns. I'd try and say something and convince you
to stay and keep trying to make it work, but I believe you know
that is not possible. Not for you at this time.
There simply exists no formal framework or informal undertanding of
due process, the right to face ones accuser-in person or to at
least be able answer the accusations when security is a concern-to
have predetermined punishments that escalate in a predetermined
way...you mentioned other needed basic 'rights'.
I too was told to stay away from a meeting where my fate was
decided, which I did after telling folks that I respected the right
of the group to discuss me, or any problem Member without
interruption or distraction, but that I needed to be able to answer
the accusatons for me to consider the process legitimate.
Of course I was villified, punished, and denied any of this. The
fact the 2 folks most closely involved were a Member who was like a
sister to me and is again I hope and believe, and a new Member, one
of only 3 I am working with on a weekly basis sucks. He's great.
She's great. I'm fine. WE are sick in the frickin' process.
The people, good and bad, come and go, but the process is not
viable. IT SIMPLY IS NOT VIABLE. Our most active members as of late
have basically indicated to me, in actions and words, that they've
reached the end of the rope. Our most active members want to start
a new imc, perhaps Cascadia.
I can't see an imc thriving in the current state of IMCN disarray.
Personally, I'm over my love affair with Seattle indy, and must
look to functional models to pattern my own life after.
I do hope you will look into what goes on here from time to time,
and maybe we will realize as a Global Collective how important
alternative media in the hands of the People is. In the US, even
the elites of the first American Revolution seemed to have this
understanding.
I want to change the world, but not by having indy morph into a
legislature or a decision making model (What a joke!). I seek
change just by telling the truth as I see it, and empowering the
masses to do the same. indy-media. Simple. That will win the day
for democracy-and maybe we at indy can get back to this
understanding.
Note to the good folks at all UK based indymedia collectives: I
have no idea what the deal is there, and don't care for purposes of
this discussion. The points raised by Tony are as relavent with or
without this deep understanding.
The point is there is no model for conflict resolution, sanction,
decision making *authority and accountability*, nor in the end, the
ability to even interpret what any of these terms mean. I used the
word authority, which is a no-no in this free speech haven. I'll
not dare to use the terms command and control or consistancy, as I
would be outed as a military freak or reactionary. I am neither.
My name is Joseph and I am a Peace and Justice, anti
corporitization and pro-democracy Journalist. Period. I choose
indymedia to publish because it's mostly what I know, and I because
I believe in the project.
In Solidarity,
Joseph Eisenschmidt
Member, Seattle Independent Media Center,
and one hell of an administrator-not to mention a nice guy.
Quoting Tony Gosling <bristol at nuj.org.uk>:
> A long goodbye - but I leave you with some suggested procedures
> for the
> future - Tony
>
>
> Hi IMC comms admins and process people,
> [please take a minute or two to read through this]
>
> There has been some truly nasty stuff going on here at Bristol
> Indymedia
> (BIMC) centering on unfounded accusations of my links to 'far
> right' groups
> at a website which I publish www.bilderberg.org A hate campaign
> (including
> continued bullying, abuse and a threat of physical violence
> against me by
> Ian Ferguson <ian at videonetwork.org>) culminated in my being
> ultimately
> tricked into staying away from the BIMC meeting where my 'fate'
> was
> decided. I was away in Wales helping to organise this
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PPG7/message/174 and could have got
> back in
> time for the meeting. I was told the matter would only be
> discussed at a
> special meeting the week after.
>
> Hostility toward me centred around my raising issues at BIMC
> meetings such
> as what I felt was the misuse of features and local list admin
> passwords
> and censorship of my investigative reports - such as this one
> where my news
> about crateloads of enormous new computers being brought into
> NATO's
> Corsham computer centre by US soldiers was censored
> http://bristol.indymedia.org/newswire/display_any/9188
> http://lists.indymedia.org/pipermail/imc-bristol/2003-
November/001123.html
> These were described by some as as me 'dominating meetings'
> 'causing
> problems' and 'raising issues about himself'.
>
> You can view the heated BIMC public discussion about me for
> yourself here
> if you wish
> http://lists.indymedia.org/pipermail/imc-bristol/2004-
March/date.html
> I am 'Ecovillage Network UK' , 'ian' is the main person demanding
> my
> exclusion from the editorial group. 'Kyra' launched the attack on
> me
>
> Several members of the group including one frightened anonymous
> person has
> weighed in in my defence. eg.
> http://lists.indymedia.org/pipermail/imc-bristol/2004-
March/001462.html
> and
> they explain articulately the witchunt side to all this and what
> such a
> combination of lies, injustice and threats and this 'kangaroo
> court' way of
> dealing with disputes means for freedom of speech we are supposed
> to hold
> dear.
>
> As a professional freelance researcher, local branch secretary
> and National
> Executive officer of the National Union of Journalists (
> www.nuj.org.uk the
> biggest UK journalist's union) I support professional journalists
> in and
> around Bristol when they are targeted by management, often for
> their
> political views. We have a particularly right wing (supported
> Hitler in the
> thirties) newspaper group, Northcliffe, monopolising all
> newsprint in the
> city as well as owning two radio stations. It was in this
> capacity that I
> chaired the opening meeting of Bristol Indymedia. I am an
> out-of-work
> professional journalist myself. And when I am intimidated and
> slurred I
> find, in this climate of fear, there is no integrity in the
> process and
> no-one who to face down these liars and bullies.
>
> I am seriously concerned about procedures in place at Indymedia
> for due
> process in excluding or 'disciplining' people. And suggest the
> international movement adopt some simple disciplinary and
> grievance
> procedures as my union would recommend and which is, in most
> organisations
> required by law. (see examples from the co-operative movement
> below)
>
> What happened to me was a Trotskyite style fix up done behind
> closed doors
> where I was not able to defend myself culminating in all my admin
>
> privileges being stripped. A peculiar irony - since I only ever
> wrote two
> features in the centre column both of which were either defaced
> or removed
> within hours.
>
> The timing of this whole affair has also been interesting since
> we are
> about to have a crucial trial
> http://bristol.indymedia.org/newswire/display/13612/index.php
> testing the
> legality of the war against Iraq here at Bristol Crown Court.
>
> My administration of this [IMC-Communications] list has been used
> as
> 'evidence' of my untrustworthiness - which is weird because I
> only became
> an admin in the absence of anyone else prepared to do it. Anyway
> - I
> repeatedly said I'd hand over admin. control to whoever wanted it
> - no one
> has asked me to hand it over until today - particularly after
> this
> upsetting experience I have no wish to continue.
>
> One of my most bitter critics behind the scenes at Indymedia UK
> meetings,
> who has never met me to my knowledge, an anonymous Indymedia
> person called
> 'Space Bunny' has recently become an admin of this
> [IMC-Commnications]
> list. He/she is sb at j12.org please be aware that 'space
> bunny' has
> been one of the main people posting 'far right' lies about me.
>
> I have been one of the admins of this list for a 18 months or so
> but am
> tonight with a sense of relief - and worry that Indymedia is
> leaving
> itsself open to being consumed by violent, lying forces it was
> set up to
> combat.
>
> I am tonight handing my admin. of this list over to another BIMC
> person
> Mike Tonks mike at bettercode.com and signing the UK
> Indymedia bank
> account into his hands.
>
> Anyway- a long tootle-oo to all the good guys and girls out there
> - and I
> won't have access to Bristol Indymedia Editorial or IMC
> communications any
> more so if you want me to know what you're saying please don't
> reply to
> lists etc - if you want to email me you can do so
> at bristol at nuj.org.uk or evnuk at gaia.org
>
>
> Tony Gosling
> www.bilderberg.org
> www.public-interest.co.uk
> tel +44 (0)117 944 6219
>
>
>
>
> DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURE
>
> The cooperative has an obligation to operate a fair disciplinary
> procedure.
> The following disciplinary procedure is operated if the employer
> has
> complaints about the conduct, attendance, timekeeping or job
> performance of
> any employee.
>
> A) A disciplinary sub-committee of the Directors will be
> established to
> investigate the complaint. Investigations will be made fully,
> but as
> quickly as possible. The employee has a right to a short summary
> of the
> nature of the complaint in advance of the first meeting of this
>
> sub-committee unless the employer considers the matter so urgent
> that such
> a statement cannot reasonably be provided (in which case the
> employee will
> be informed at the beginning of the meeting). The employee
> concerned has
> the right to present their case and to be represented or to be
> accompanied
> by a friend. A written record of meetings of the sub-committee
> and its
> decisions will be kept.
>
> B) There are three stages in the disciplinary procedure.
> First stage: oral warning or written warning. The employee will
> be told
> what to do about the situation, either verbally or in writing.
> The warning
> will lapse after three months.
>
> Second stage: written warning. If the complaint persists within
> the period
> of the previous warning, the procedure will be repeated. At this
> stage the
> employee is warned in writing that a further breach of discipline
> will lead
> to dismissal. The warning will lapse after a year.
>
> Third stage: dismissal. If there is a further breach of
> discipline within
> the period of the previous warning, the cooperative may decide,
> using
> procedure (x) below, to dismiss the employee.
>
> At each stage of the procedure the employee shall be entitled to
> a further
> short summary of the nature of the complaint, which may be wider
> or
> narrower than that given earlier. Warnings lapse after the fixed
> periods
> of time at each stage.
>
> C) A first disciplinary complaint against an employee shall be
> treated
> using the first step in the procedure, apart from exceptional
> circumstances
> in the case of alleged serious or gross misconduct, when an
> investigation
> at the second or third stage may be initiated. There is no
> dismissal for
> first offence except in the case of gross misconduct. Examples of
> gross
> misconduct are theft, assault or willful breach of
> confidentiality or any
> other deliberate action, which jeopardises the Professional
> Indemnity of
> the co-operative
>
> D) The disciplinary sub-committee shall have power to impose oral
> and
> written warnings for first and second stages offence.
>
> The employee shall have the right to appeal against this decision
> to the
> Directors, by giving written notice of appeal to the Secretary of
> the
> cooperative within seven days of the decision of the disciplinary
>
> sub-committee.
>
> E) At the third stage, the disciplinary sub-committee shall
> advise the
> Directors what disciplinary action, if any, it considers
> appropriate. The
> Directors shall not impose any sanction stronger than that
> recommended by
> the sub-committee, but may choose to impose a lesser penalty or
> none at
> all. The employee shall have the right to appeal to the General
> Meeting of
> members of the cooperative by giving written notice of appeal to
> the
> Secretary of the cooperative within seven days of the decision of
> the
> Directors (in the case of dismissal, using the procedure outlined
> in clause
> (x) below).
>
> F) In cases of alleged serious or gross misconduct, an employee
> may be
> suspended on full pay during the disciplinary procedure or after
> the
> issuing of a Termination Notice, but their right to attend
> meetings of the
> cooperative shall not be affected.
>
>
> GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE
>
> This procedure is to be followed if any employee feels they have
> a
> grievance against any other employee, or against the operation or
> decisions
> of the cooperative as a whole, which affects their ability to
> perform their
> job satisfactorily.
>
> A) The complainant shall ask the Directors to select one of their
> members
> to meet with the complainant, to discuss and try to resolve the
> matter.
>
> B) If no solution can be found, the complainant shall put her/his
> grievance
> to a specially convened sub-committee of the Directors, which
> will
> investigate the matter, bear representations from the people
> involved and
> make a formal proposal for its solution. The complainant and any
> person
> against whom it complaint shall have been made shall have the
> right to be
> represented or to be accompanied by a friend,
>
> C) If the complainant is not satisfied, there is a right of
> appeal to the
> General Meeting of members of the cooperative.
>
> If subsequently the employee is still not satisfied, there is a
> right of
> appeal to an agreed outside arbitrator.
>
> Reference by an employee to another employee in this grievance
> procedure
> shall not construe any form of disciplinary action by the
> employer against
> that second employee, and disciplinary matters may only be raised
> by the
> employer using the procedure laid down in (y) above.
>
>
>
>
>
> Bristol branch - National Union of Journalists
> http://www.public-interest.co.uk/bnuj/
> 10-12 Picton Street
> Montpelier
> BRISTOL
> BS6 5QA
> England
> http://media.guardian.co.uk/
> http://www.pressgazette.co.uk
> http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/media/
> http://lists.southspace.net/listinfo/nuj_bristol/
> http://lists.southspace.net/pipermail/nuj_bristol/
> http://www.takebackthemedia.com/bushnonazi.html
> http://www.mediachannel.org/ownership/chart.shtml
> http://www.gegrapha.org/uk/default.htm
> http://www.gn.apc.org/media/nuj.html
> http://www.nuj.org.uk
> http://www.cpj.org
> http://www.ifj.org
> 0117 944 6219
> mob. 07786 952037
>
Joseph
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