Art Handlers Demand Met and Sotheby's Board Members 'Stop The Discrimination'
NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2011 - Professional art handlers and their
supporters protested in front of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's annual
diversity-themed gala yesterday. Protestors called on museum board
members to end an eight-week-long lockout of professional art handlers
at Sotheby's Auction House.
Despite making record profits of more than $680 million
in gross profit last year, the auction house has locked out its staff
of 43 art handlers, most of who are minorities. Sotheby's wants to
replace its longtime, dedicated art handlers with replacement workers.
Metropolitan Museum board members Michel David-Weill and Carroll Petrie serve on the board of advisors at Sotheby's. The protesters distributed handbills that read, "Michel David-Weill: Stop The Discrimination" and "What's Gone Wrong at the Met?"
"Throwing hard-working African-American and Latino workers out on the
street without paychecks is the wrong way to celebrate diversity," said
Jason Ide, President of Teamsters Local 814. Local 814 represents the art handlers at Sotheby's.
Sotheby's management continues to insist on eliminating retirement
for current employees and eliminating benefits and union protections for
all new employees.
"It's like they're trying to take us back to the 1950s," said forty-two year art handler Sim Jones. "This has always been a dignified job that you could be proud of. It looks like they're trying to take that away."
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