Join Us on Friday 2/3/2012 to Demand Justice for Sotheby's Workers!

[Thomas Grace]

Justice for Sotheby’s Workers!

Press Conference with Sotheby's Art Handlers and UVM Protest on Friday

Forty-two art handlers in New York City were locked out of their jobs without paychecks by Sotheby's international auction house in July 2011. The unionized art handlers are refusing to agree to major cuts in pay and benefits. Sotheby's has demanded that all new hires be nonunion, which threatens the fundamental right to collective bargaining.

William Ruprecht, CEO of Sotheby's, is a member of the UVM Board of Trustees. In 2010, Sotheby's made profits of $774 million and recently nearly doubled the salary of its CEO, Mr Ruprecht. Mr. Ruprecht's take home pay is $16,000+ per day.

So, why has Mr. Ruprecht locked out his workers, taken away their health care, and demanded the dismantling of their union?

“This attack on the workers is unconsciounable when the company is earing record profits,” says Jason Ide, President of Teamsters Local 814, the art handlers union.

Faculty, staff, students, and community members are calling on Ruprecht to stop this injustice and make a fair settlement with the art handlers. If he does not, we call on him to step down from UVM’s Board of Trustees. There is no place for this callous and unfair behavior at the University of Vermont.

Occupy Burlington-UVM groups are also calling on Governor Shumlin (who also sits on UVM's Board of Trustees), to “please join in this call, and ask William Ruprecht to do the right thing, or step down from the board..”

We call on students, faculty, staff, and all concerned community members to protest William 1% Ruprecht, and to reclaim UVM for Vermonters.

Press Conference with 4 Locked out Sotheby's Art Handlers, Labor and Community Leaders, and Occupy UVM Student Activists
When: Friday Feb 3 at 2:00
Where: Davis Center Atrium (at entrance facing the Bailey Howe Library), UVM
Who: Sotheby's Art Handlers, Community Leaders, Student Activists
Media Visuals: Signs and banners, peaceful protesters
Contact: Jim Fouts 802-923-6288 or Paul Fleckenstein  802-373-0329

Protest at the UVM Board of Trustees
When: Friday Feb 3 at 2:30 after the press conference
Where: Davis Center, UVM (beginning on ground floor and marching to Board of Trustees meeting)
Who: The 99%

Media Visuals: Signs and banners, peaceful protesters
Interviews: Sotheby's union members, student and community activists
Contact: Jim Fouts  802-923-6288 or Paul Fleckenstein  802-373-0329

National Media Coverage

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-12-15/sotheby-s-handles-lockout-costs-rise-2-4-million-ruprecht-given-bonus.html

International: Sotheby's Workers Solidarity Resolution in British Parliament

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/business-papers/commons/early-day-motions/edm-detail1/?session=2010-12&edmnumber=2233