Martin Ottmann is a longtime critic of the Church of Scientology who is known for his dogged search for documents that describe every aspect of Scientology management and life. We asked him to bring some of his expertise to the Underground Bunker and help us dig into the dark corners of this secretive organization.
Last week, Martin sent us a document issued at Scientology’s PAC Base in Los Angeles in 1989. That document restricted the amount of time that Sea Org parents could spend with their children. Now, he’s sent us another PAC document from that time regarding Sea Org couples that dared to get pregnant.
With Sea Org members signing billion-year contracts and working 110-hour weeks for pennies an hour, they were seriously discouraged from having children. For decades, Sea Org women who became pregnant were pressured to have abortions. Those couples who insisted on having children were, as this document shows, shipped to “failing” orgs in undesirable parts of the globe.
We have the original document for you to look at, as well as a transcript. And once again, we’ve asked Mareka Brousseau to help us understand what an impact this order had on actual Scientology families.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTIVE
CLO WUS ED # 1127
21 November 89
CMO PAC
FCB
CLO
PAC ORGSPAC SO ORGS REGULATION
RE: 2D COUPLES POSTINGA recent investigation in the PAC area has revealed that Sea Org member couples who have to leave a Sea Org Base per FO 3905 CHILDREN, SEA MEMBERS AND SEA ORG ORGS, were frequently named as potential resources to fill up key posts in LAD and LAF, making these orgs a service facility for the PAC pregnant couples due to their proximity to the Sea Org installations.
However the original intention of the FO 3905 was not as such, but to re-post Sea Org member couples expecting a new child in a small and failing Class 4 orgs so as to expand these orgs towards St Hill Size rapidly.
This intention is therefore re-established by this issue with the following regulations to police the posting of Sea Org Member couples from the PAC Sea Org orgs.
1. No Sea Member couples from the PAC SO ORGS can be transferred to LAD and LAF for new posting.
2. Any Sea Org members from the PAC Sea Org orgs who are subject to the regulations established in FO 3905 are to be reposted in a small and failing org at the discretion of SNR PCO INT.
This Executive Directive goes in effect immediately so as to avoid LAD and LAF becoming the local class 4 orgs to where Sea Org members are transfered, which would defeat the original intention of FO 3905.
COMMANDING OFFICER PAC
PAC PRODUCTION MSN I/CAPPROVED BY
CO FCBAuthorized by
LC WUSFor
CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY
WESTERN UNITED STATESCSWUS:JF:ML:VZ:aq
MAREKA: Executive Directive #1127 reinforces the no more kids rule from Flag Order 3905: Children, Sea Org Members, And Sea Org Orgs. This Flag Order is significant because it’s the order that stops any Sea Org member from having children. The original FO came out at some point between 1986 and 1988. There were multiple versions, each worse than the next until the finalized 1991 addendum. There may be a later version because the age of return to the SO when your child is 6 years old changed to 10 years old.
This Flag Order explains that children are a burden upon the Sea Org, and the Sea Org is now refusing to bear the expense. Couples that get pregnant are now ordered to join lesser Scientology Orgs outside of the Sea Org — Class V Orgs and Missions. These Class V Orgs and Missions are still being managed by the Sea Org, but the pregnant couple isn’t on Sea Org books anymore. However, the money they make their Class V Org/Mission ends up going to the Sea Org and eventually reaches the highest echelons to line Miscavige’s pockets. Twenty-five percent of the gross income from a Class V Org/Mission goes to the Sea Org. The message of this Flag Order is clear: We can punish you for having children and still make money off of you.
Unlike the Sea Org, which pays its members $50 a week, Class V Org and Mission staff are paid on commission, 30 percent of the Org net income goes to staff pay. The more “services” (auditing and training) the Orgs sell, the better chance the staff member has of eating three square meals a day. So there is a big incentive (namely hunger) to work hard, long hours.
For the church, these are Sea Org slave workers that the Sea Org doesn’t even have to provide room and board for. There’s no pay coming out of Sea Org coffers for this couple either. This is the highest return for the Sea Org with the least responsibility. The now Ex-Sea Org couple — termed “on garrison” — must, along with working a 100 hour week for their Class V Org/Mission, raise their child on pay that is usually less than that of a Sea Org member. How do you raise a family on less than $50 a week? How do you afford to rent the floor you lay your mattress on? How do you afford to heat your room when it’s winter? How do you afford to eat when you’re hungry?
You don’t. You owe arrears, you are cold, you miss meals. I know because I lived it. My parents were “on garrison” from 1991 to 2005. Almost 15 years in Birmingham, England.
Which brings me back to Executive Directive #1127. It was issued to ensure that Sea Org members were aware that if they did get pregnant they would not be going to a large Org where they would have a shot at a fair life and decent pay, but would instead be sent to “a small and failing Org,” which is exactly what happened to my parents. When they got pregnant they were originally posted to DC org, but when David Miscavige arrived on an unexpected inspection and saw them there he had a fit and screamed psychotically at my mother and father for having dared think themselves good enough for DC org. They were then sent to the worst org on the planet — Birmingham.
This Flag Org and Executive Directive directly affected my life. It became personal for me. While David Miscavige was being served gourmet meals prepared by his 5 star chef, I was making my school lunch at home, spreading my peanut butter as thinly as possible to make it last. While Miscavige was enjoying his 20-year-old scotch I poured the tiniest amount of milk in my cereal and learned to enjoy “crunchy” cornflakes — but not of the higher priced Kellogg’s brand. While Miscavige built himself palaces and luxurious living quarters I shared a rented room with my parents and baby sister. While Miscavige bought himself toys, cars, and motorcycles I was unable to afford the materials to finish my school project. This Flag Order and accompanying ED destroyed many lives. Mine was just one of them.
——————–
Posted by Tony Ortega on September 3, 2014 at 07:00
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