‘WE want a fair contract,’ shouted locked out Teamsters from New York as they and supporters picketed Sotheby’s in New Bond Street on Thursday evening.
Jason Ide, Teamsters local 814 president, told News Line: ‘We were still bargaining with the company but on July 29 they locked our members out.
‘We’re in good spirits. They are trying to starve us out. We’re here in London to spread the word.’
Teamster’s local 814 member Dorian Malboy said: ‘I’ve been an employee of Sotheby’s for seven years, part of their best revenue years.
And the way they treated me, with 42 other hard-working men, was to lock us out because we wouldn’t agree to such a horrible contract.
‘Some key points of the contract they wanted to give us are – the ability to cut our retirement fund, to cut our work hours by half an hour per day and to give us a 40-hour week with no overtime.
‘We stood to lose hundreds of dollars a week.
‘We intend to escalate our action if the contract is not settled after this demonstration.’
New York City local 100 Transport Workers Union members also took part in the demonstration.
TWU member Liz Wilson said: ‘We’re here fighting for a fair contract. I work for the transportation system and we have the same problems with our contract as the Sotheby’s workers.
‘We support them in solidarity, that’s what it’s all about.
‘My union was the first to support the youth of Occupy Wall Street. We were out there with the young people and we will continue the struggle.’
TWU local 100 member Tom Carano added: ‘It’s been terrible in America. Kids are graduating from college and can’t get jobs.
‘The public sector employers are constantly asking for concessions. we are being asked to share the sacrifice of these hard times.
‘Only we don’t see the wealthy people making sacrifices, they are making record profits.’
