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PEN America is accused of trying to silence its own workers. [1]
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Date: 2024-03-27 14:02:30+00:00
In a “whistle-blowing” press release, the staff union at PEN America—PEN America United (PAU)—has accused the free expression organization of attempting to “chill the free expression of its own workers” by proposing language that would see PAU members disciplined for engaging in off-duty political activity:
PEN America Management’s language chills free expression while asking union members to surrender their rights as workers and renounce a safeguard from retaliation. Sweeping restrictions like these coming from a leading free-expression organization would set a very dangerous precedent for employees everywhere.
As the press release goes on to detail, this significant internal revolt comes at a time when PEN America is facing intense and sustained criticism from over 600 writers (the number is now north of 1000) for its response to Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza. At the time of writing, more than two dozen authors (including Naomi Klein, Michelle Alexander, Lorrie Moore, and Hisham Matar) have withdrawn from this year’s PEN World Voices Festival for the same reason.
A representative of the PAU Executive Board told Lit Hub about the numerous attempts made by PEN staff to shift this response, as well as the union’s decision to advocate for its members in this manner:
PEN America United union members (PAU), alongside non-union staff, have made several internal efforts to shift PEN America’s official response to the conflict in Gaza. Staff have repeatedly pleaded to leadership to take a more humanitarian position that is aligned with other peer institutions and its own mission, and have laid out clear recommendations for moving forward.
The choice to critique and distance oneself from an organization whose values do not align with one’s own is an expression of free speech which we firmly support. Since October, PAU union members have been made aware of the decisions of several authors and PEN America partners to withdraw from participation in PEN America events and initiatives, including the PEN America World Voices Festival. PEN America indeed wrote in a 3/20 Letter to the Community, that they formally “recognized the importance of dissent in our own ranks.”
It is within this context that we have continued to push back against PEN America Management’s proposal and advocate for our union members’ right to express themselves.
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[1] Url:
https://lithub.com/pen-america-is-accused-of-trying-to-silence-its-own-workers/
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