| On the morning of September 22nd, 2001 activists involved in #OCCUPYWALLSTREET disrupted an art auction at Sotheby's Art Auctions on the Upper East Side. Last year Sotheby's made profits of $680 Million Dollars. Their CEO Bill Rupprecht awarded himself a 125% raise. At the same time Sotheby's has decided to use union busting tactics, demanding over 100 concessions to the IBT 814 Art Handlers Union Contract. #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. Sotheby's Art Auctions are a sanctuary for the financial elite; where hedge fund managers & wealthy bankers bid millions of dollars for art objects; while the rest of us struggle to put food on the table because of their actions. These are the same financial elite who were bailed out in their moment of need and now refuse to pay their fair share in taxes. Many of these Hedge Fund Managers still pay a nominal tax rate compared with the average worker. That is our money! End the greed & expose the disconnect! #OCCUPYWALLSTREET supporters call on the 99% to raid the sanctuaries of the financial elite; to ... |
