The plight of locked-out Teamster art handlers caused a normally sedate auction at Sotheby's to turn pretty damned exciting last night. Teamsters, labor allies and student conducted a large, noisy protest outside the auction house while four Occupy Wall Streeters were arrested inside. Watch these awesome videos -- one shows a woman being dragged out of Sotheby's.
Here's OWS's statement:
#OCCUPYWALLSTREET supporters are appalled at the persistent attack on workers rights. We support the right of the workers to collectively bargain. Sotheby’s wants all new hires to have no collective bargaining rights, no health benefits and no job security. After locking out their unionized work force, Sotheby’s continues to operate using scabs and a non-union subcontractor. Sotheby’s art auctions epitomize the disconnect of the extremely wealthy from the rest of us.Here's how Michael Friedman of the OWS Labor Outreach Committee described last night's action:
About 200 supporters came out, including other Teamster locals, students from NYU and Hunter College, and OWS, for what turned out to be the most intense and enthusiastic, in-your-face display, yet, of the 99%'s ire at the 1%'s greed and ostentatious selfishness. In addition, four activists were arrested for disruptive actions in the auction house.
Prepare for an even bigger rally and further fun and games at the next major Sotheby's auction, the second of two $500 million art auctions, on Wednesday, November 9, at 6 pm.The New York Times reported on the increased security by the entitled jerks at Sotheby's:
With the world economy in such an uncertain state, Sotheby’s fall auction of Impressionist and modern art Wednesday night was bound to be tense anyway. (TeamsterNation note: Awwwwww.) But the auction house’s continuing contract dispute with its unionized art handlers – who have been locked out for three months and have been staging increasingly publicized demonstrations – recently prompted it to institute much stricter security measures surrounding the fall sale.And this comment by one entitled jerk just made our head spin:
"It is very unfortunate,” Ms. Phillips added, “but protecting people and art must be our first priority and virtually everyone seems to understand.”Ms. Phillips is confused. Throwing 43 people out of work and ordering them dragged out of your auction house is not "protecting" them.
