by Whitney Kimball on November 10, 2011
Sotheby's held its best auction in three years last night, while just outside its heavily-guarded headquarters at 1334 York Avenue over a hundred students, union workers, and Occupy Wall Street protesters picketed the auction house’s lockout of 42 union art handlers. Chanting such teamster slogans such as “What's disgusting? Union busting!” and blowing whistles in front of a pair of inflatable mascots – one a rat, the other a fat cat squeezing a worker in its fist – the protests had seemingly little effect on the auction, which cleared an estimated $315.8 million and exceeded the high estimate of $270.8 million. The art handlers have been locked out by the auction company over a contract dispute that began July 29.
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by Whitney Kimball on August 3, 2011
It’s not a strike, it’s a lock-out. Sotheby’s barred its team of art handlers from entering the building last Friday, bringing ongoing negotiations to a halt. Collectors have need for concern; the company has supposedly replaced its experienced team with low-paid, temporary workers with little or no art handling backgrounds.
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